Final Deliverables
Complete implementation of all main features and auxiliary functions of the application that demonstrates the purpose of the application and the full nature of interactions.
Memorable
Combining reminiscence and music therapy to create personalized entertainment for people with dementia
Dementia is a syndrome, usually of a chronic or progressive nature, that can affect many aspects of a person’s cognitive ability including their memory, thinking, behaviour, communication, and ability to perform everyday activities (WHO, 2015). Caregivers face challenges with finding ways to engage with and mentally stimulate residents suffering from these conditions since. Currently, most entertainment tools and games are not designed with memory-impaired individuals in mind. Our solution is to address this gap by creating tailored and personalized entertainment that helps these residents recall forgotten memories and improves their mood.
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Features
Memorable is a tablet application that includes a puzzle game using personal images and a music player. The following are essential features of the application. Previous research has shown that simple puzzle games and familiar music are beneficial to people with dementia. Allowing people with dementia to spend time reflecting on old pictures and listening to music helps spark past memories and improve their mood.
Update Reports
Our project progress is documented through update reports including weekly reports and milestone presentations.
Milestone 1
Research data exchange and patient profile content
Milestone 2
Begin building interactive prototype
Milestone 3
Complete basic application feature implementation
Portfolio
This portfolio of the documents and deliverables of our project shows our design process and progress throughout the quarter. We explored and built an understanding of the problem space through extensive field work and iterated on our design based on those insights while maintaining the simplicity of our application.
Project Proposal
We plan to implement a web application with personalized entertainment for people with dementia in care homes that promotes patient-family-caretaker information exchange about the resident's daily activities.
Contextual Inquiries
A summary of what we learned from contextual inquiries with researchers, family members, and caretakers of people with dementia. Insight into the design space from these contextual inquiries influenced our initial design.
Paper Prototype
The initial paper prototype is the preliminary design of our application, on which we conducted usability testing. After design revisions based on feedback, the final paper prototype is our near final design, from which we created our digital prototype.
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Usability Testing
A summary of what we learned from usability testing on the initial prototype. In depth feedback from usability testing helped us improve our design in subsequent iterations.
System Design
Our goal for each iteration of our system flow design was to simplify navigation for better functionality based on user roles and needs.
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Digital Prototype
This demonstration video shows the features of a low fidelity digital prototype of our application.
Volunteering Notes
We volunteered at Briarwood Health Center, a care home specialized for people with dementia. Interacting with residents and talking to caretakers and family members helped us understand how our application can improve enrichment activities for residents and better design for that purpose.
Final Prototype
This demonstration video shows the features of the final high-fidelity prototype of our application.
Appendix
Here are additional materials and documents for reference.
