14 Moons | Jill Chiu & May Zhou
14 Moons
Jill Chiu & May Zhou
14 Moons is an application that focuses on guiding users to learn about their emotional patterns. This application is designed for users who are aware about their depressive emotions, yet are not motivated enough to seek professional help. Our goal is to be the bridge between potential patients and professionals, providing direct help to those who need them. We also aim to lessen the stigma of mental health to our users, specifically depression, encouraging early cure and showing that there is no shame in suffering depression. The application should act as a primary tool for users and professionals to understand users’ emotional patterns for the past 2 weeks. It is not a diagnosis tool but a self-care application with emotion tracking and relaxing interactions.
Intervention
We designed this with different uses in mind; some may commit to the application, and some may not. The application asks for a minimum of two weeks commitment, in order for its results to be accurate. This is based off of the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) Test, which is a
screening tool for depression. This test asks questions regarding the individual’s emotions in the last two weeks prior to taking the test. It provides an accurate estimation of the individual’s depression severity. We were inspired by the process, and we wanted to also provide resources for those who are committed to learning about their emotions and mental health. 14 Moons is designed to be a safe space for your emotions.
Approach
Our approach in making this application initially was to cater to the non-committed user. We wanted to create something that would be insightful, even after the application is deleted. The portrayal of the idea shifted between different mediums and stories, and we landed on the idea of a digital safe space in the end. Every human experiences a different array of emotions, and we wanted to capture the variety of feelings in this application, therefore each user may set their own emotions they choose to track. Through testing and research, we learned that goal setting is an element we needed to touch on. The Momento function allows our user to create custom lock screen wallpapers, as a reminder to work towards their goal.
Reflection
From going through the process of this project, we learned that research and prototyping are inseparable from one another. Figuring out what was the most suitable way to portray our idea was the most difficult part of the process, as we went through many iterations and phases. Past iterations of this project have taken the form of many different things, which led us to creating our final product. Going through all the iterations make us realize that it is logical to focus on our own strengths and cater to an audience that we speak to on a personal level.
About us
We are two students majoring in interaction design. As designers we are responsible about how our designs impact the world. May Zhou has experience in service and system design, looking at designs at a broad spectrum aiming not to design just for the sake of creating new things to produce. She values sustainability and craftsmanship in the design field, admires both technology and the value of hand-making. Jill Chiu enjoys working in digital spaces, and is interested in looking for ways to embed digital work into a physical realm. Her goal as a designer is to inspire change through subtle actions.
Contact us
jillchiu1201@gmail.com
mzayzzhou@gmail.com
hi.lo | Michelle Chan
This responsive digital platform aims to integrate family-centered care into diabetes management by demystifying the illness for young patients and empowering them with agency, while encouraging parents to provide the appropriate type of care and support.
This project was awarded the ECUAA Graduation Award for Community Engagement
Objective
Understand the needs of the patients and their families
and hear out their concerns, experience and feedback
Employ participatory design methods
to involve the users as part of the design process
Integrate research findings into the digital platform
by creating a set of values to abide by
Approach
Research
Values
Redefine “child-friendly” content
Instead of patronizing cartoons and characters, employ accessible and engaging visuals.
Promote engagement in the diabetes community
Forming a community allows child patients to know theyare not alone and parents to share their tips and advices.
Encourage transparency and honesty
In other words, don’t sugar coat things.
Put the child in the middle of their own health journey
Let them be the main participant in their diabetes management.
Encourage caretakers to engage and support
Show them ways they can guide and help their child in an appropriate and non-invasive way.
Provide customizability + tailored content
Every person’s case is unique- narrowing and filtering down the material can reduce confusion and information overload.
Features
Video Prototype
Reflection
This project was an opportunity for me to explore many elements of designing a product. From participant recruitment and market research to participatory design and creating a platform with 3 responsive device screens, I think I explored quite a number of product design aspects.
The values that I had formulated from this round of research was very crucial to the project. I was excited to see that I was able to lay out the core fundamentals for designing for childhood diabetes management. I think the values really help set the goal for the project.
Michelle Chan
As a process-driven design practitioner and researcher, I am always looking for new ways to research and design to solve real-world problems. My goal is to formulate innovative methods that consider design-thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. Throughout my career, I hope I can make important changes that will shift the health design culture.
As a student, I strived to explore types of art and design practices. I used each project to learn something new and develop my process of designing. I found passion in elements in interaction design that I loved, such as service design and design research.
michellechann.com
Get Well | Bronwyn Proctor
Find a naturopathic doctor, meet with them remotely, and manage your records, completely online.
Scroll and click through the Get Well prototype above.
The Need
More and more people are choosing a more integrative approach to healthcare, and the complementary and alternative medicine market is growing fast. The market size is estimated to be $296.3 billion by 2027, and within that, naturopathy is one of the fastest growing therapies over the past two decades.
Virtual care, also called telehealth, is all the ways doctors interact with their patients remotely. The Canadian healthcare industry is looking at ways to shift towards providing more virtual care options. This focus will help to provide faster access to health care, and meet patient demand specifically for virtual healthcare.
We know the market is growing, more and more people are seeking out naturopathic care, but the discovery and delivery of care is not as accessible or convenient as it could be.
Searching
Finding a naturopathic doctor can be a confusing process and there is no easy way to try out a provider before committing to an expensive initial visit.
Location
Your provider choices are limited by location. If you want to see someone with specific experience, or you live in a remote area, accessing care becomes difficult.
Records
Delivery of documents and records from practitioner to patient are often not digital, or buried in email attachments. Keeping track of your own wellness progress can be overwhelming.
The Solution
Get Well gives patients of naturopathic care everything they need in one place. Find a naturopathic doctor, meet with them, keep all your records organized – all in one place.
Complete an intake questionnaire and choose from a filtered selection of naturopathic doctors.
Meet with your naturopathic doctor virtually with video, audio, or text visits.
All your records are organized and safe in your patient portal.
Reflection
As I was wrapping up this project, that I had been exploring for eight months, the world changed in a big way. When I started researching and interviewing people about virtual health in 2019, many people weren’t sure what it was. Some services were beginning to become available for conventional medical services, but there were definitely no options for complementary or alternative healthcare.
Now, with this global health crisis preventing people from accessing their chosen healthcare regularly, many practitioners are looking for new ways to continue to care for their patients.
While this period of time is mostly difficult and overwhelming, I’m excited about the future of health and wellness, and I’m excited to keep working in this field of design.
ABOUT BRONWYN
I believe design is about understanding people and their needs. I’m continually trying to reflect this belief in my work, and keep empathy at the core of my process.
Cometta, Cultivating Self Compassion | Arjun Menon
Problem:
There are many people who face self judgemental or self critical thoughts on a daily basis. These thoughts often become normalized in our lives and contribute to feelings of depression and isolation.
Solution:
Cometta(Co meaning together, Metta meaning loving kindness) is an app that will help you be mindful of your self critical thoughts and respond to them with kindness through a series of exercises. You can share this kindness by sending and receiving kind messages all over the world.
Key UI Screens
These screens showcase key UI outcomes of the product design process.
The top two screens present the feature to send and receive kind messages as a practice of compassion and recognition of our common humanity. The touch gesture of swiping up is given a meaning of releasing a kind message to the world. The movement of the user’s hands away from themselves signifies giving something to someone else. In order to receive a kind message from the world, the user has to accept it. The touch gesture of swiping down, or pulling towards themselves, signifies this acceptance of a kind message from someone else.
Micro-interactions guide the user’s experience in learning and applying the journey to cultivate compassion. These small product moments provide particular functions which come together in a usable, cohesive, and meaningful experience. In the bottom two screens, the micro-interactions allow the user to control visual and functional elements in their journey of mindfulness and kindness meditation.
Process
As the sole designer for this project I was responsible for a wide range of the design process from product concept ideation to, user research and UI/visual design.
Using user centered methods such as persona mapping, user interviews, and field research helped to challenge immediate assumptions in my early concept ideation and inform future concepts and designs.
I moved from low to high fidelity prototyping with testing and feedback for each prototype iteration. The insights from feedback I received during each testing session informed the design in terms of interface and layout arrangements as well as conceptual and experiential considerations. The approach to solving high level problems continued to evolve with new insights from user research which occurred throughout the design process as well. The final design outcome was determined heavily through this iterative and cyclical process.
Interactive Prototype
Ultimately the core experience of cultivating self compassion is amplified and communicated through micro-interaction, gesture and animation. A continuous challenge in the process was maintaining a balance between depth and simplicity of the experience in order to bring in more engagement and interest from users. Placing focus on the kind message sharing feature differentiates Cometta from existing mindfulness apps that might touch upon self compassion as a part rather than the whole of their offering.
About Arjun Menon
I am a class of 2020 graduating interaction design student. My hometown is the sunny San Diego, California.
My approach to design is influenced by my interest and practice of mindfulness.
In mindfulness meditation we become aware of the thoughts and patterns of our mind. Similarly, as a designer I try and be aware of the systems and assumptions we have during a project. I then validate through user centred research and design methods.
I believe the most creative work comes from a place of fearlessness and experimentation. With a strong foundational knowlege of design, I am able to push the boundaries and create captivating visual compositions using established as well as emerging technology. My love for design exploration, experimentation, and play allow me to constantly learn and ultimately create captivating interactions and experiences.
Check out my Portfolio: arjun1am.com
EATER'S DIGEST | Michael Peter
Food is essential for our survival. So how do we feed our cities?
An Experimental Survey
Critical Context
Modern lifestyle has gotten us off the right track, with fast foods, alcohol abuse, drug dependencies, a polluted environment and high-tech stress. Nature intended to fuel our inner healing force with the right natural substances to enable the body to function to its fullest potential. Nature’s resources like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids are designed for use in our immune systems.
This experimental survey invites eaters to declare their last meal. An average of all data entered is projected onto the wall to visualize how a community eats. Users are also invited to print their own individual Nutritional Facts label, which would average their individual meals as a takeaway.
Data Acquisition & Preparation
After searching for the appropriate data from web servers, logs, databases, API’s and online repositories, I discovered the Canadian, Nutrient File: Nutrient Values of Some Common Foods. Published by Health Canada, the Nutrient Value of Some Common Foods (NVSCF) provides Canadians with a resource that lists 19 nutrients for 1000 of the most commonly consumed foods in Canada. Use this quick and easy reference to help make informed food choices through an understanding of the nutrient content of the foods you eat. This data needed to be cleaned for inconsistent data, misspelt attributes, and missing or duplicate values. Next was to model this data on defined mapping rules.
Data Modelling & Visualization
This is the core activity of a data science project. I repetitively explored diverse modes of visualizing data, like radial histograms, treemaps, and population charts. For the aesthetic state of my installation, I chose a horizontal bar graph that averages itself to 100%, maintaining the width of the project installation. Using the RaspberryPi to run a processing code I was able to projection map a corner space. Embracing the darkness of corner space, and improving the visibility of content projected.
Data Analysis & Reflection
Community-wide nutritional information is significant data. It can help us analyze deficiencies in diet, understand resources that a community may need to implement, and help us make informed food choices through a better understanding of the nutrient content of the foods we eat. This survey is location variable, and can be used to compare and contrast various community diets – based on location, climate, and culture. Nutritional Fact Labels serves its purpose in breaking down the nutritional composition of individual foods, not including produce. Eater’s Digest helps bring new perspectives on what we consume, and why. Giving an opportunity for social innovation that builds resilient communities.
Michael Peter, 1998
Third-culture citizen with a global perspective, not afraid of taking risks or embracing uncertainty. His work is widely interdisciplinary, focused in building resilient societies, with experience in ceramics, interactive media, service design and, digital fabrication. His design process is greatly affected by research through experimentation; uncovering the new. He has a strong sense of fairness, justice, and respect for the dignity of individuals and communities through his designs. He is also highly reflective, able to assess and understand his strengths and limitations in order to support his learning and personal development. Michael is interested in pursuing an MBA, after receiving his Bachelor of Design in Interaction Design. Everyday he looks for the excitement of what may occur in the realm of all possibilities.
www.linkedin.com/mikeiszen
