Duration
10 Weeks
Role
Visual Designer
Service Designer
Researcher
Team
20 students representing 3 countries and 6 diverse majors collaborated on the project
Description
I was chosen to join a SCADPro collaboration with Amazon. Our team of 16 students was tasked with addressing the prompt "Aging with Amazon." Given the prevalence of technology from an early age, our objective was to devise a strategy to support customers in aging alongside technology at home.
The Problem
Navigating the era of universal digital nativity, characterized by early exposure to technology, Amazon faces the challenge of effectively assisting customers as they age alongside evolving technology at home.
How might Amazon best support customers as they age alongside technology at home?
ResearchPrimary Research
Secondary Research
DefineAffinitisation
Archetypes
Brainstorming
Secondary Research
Branding
IdeationMethodology
Refine
System Architecture
Video
Research
In our secondary research, we studied a variety of companies, some of which include Google, Apple, Xiaomi and, of course, Amazon, and discovered 5 important features that are particularly targeted toward serving the needs of the “aging” consumer.
Elder Technology
Insights
Using font and high-contrast displays, voice recognition, and touchscreen interfaces. It works by making technology more accessible and user-friendlyfor older adults, allowing them to stay connected with their loved ones, accessinformation, and control their home environment
Assistive Technology
Using technology to support older adults with disabilities or chronic conditions. Features of assistive technology include wearable devices, mobile apps, and home automation systems. It works by providing older adults with tools that can help them with activities of daily living, such as medication management, reminders, and fall detection
Social Support
Using robots or other forms of artificial intelligence to support social interaction and communication with older adults. Features of social robotics include natural language processing, facial recognition, and emotional recognition. It works by providing older adults with a social companion that can respond to their needs and provide emotional support.
Virtual Reality
Using immersive technology to create virtual environments that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as entertainment, therapy, and education, Features of virtual reality include head-mounted displays, hand-held controllers, and spatial audio. It works by providing older adults with new and engaging ways to experience the world and interact with others, while also providing a platform for therapy and rehabilitation
Using game design elements to motivate older adults to engage in healthy behaviors and activities. Features of gamification include rewards, points, and leaderboards. It works by making physical therapy, cognitive exercises, and other activities more engaging and motivating for older adults.
Gamification
16
Interviews
46
Survey Respondents
Interviews + Surveys
800
Datapoints
Interview Insights
My smartphone is the central device that controls everything.
Technology allows me the freedom to do what I want with my life.
While technology is powerful and convenient, I want to emphasize the importance of human experiences.
I want my smart home to be cohesive and integrated.
The older I get, the more I realize aging is a natural process, and it doesn't determine who I am.
I like to feel comfortable and independent in my home, but I don’t want to feel restricted in that environment.
I only want to use technologies in ways that serve me.
I need technology to be accessible so that I can continue to use it as I age.
Comparitive Analysis
We conducted a comparative analysis of top competitors, examining their range of products and services to gain valuable insights.
Ecosystem Map
Amazon's ecosystem maps visually display the entire system of products, services, devices, platforms, and systems. Amazon takes the 2C e-commerce business as the core, "customer-centric" as the tactical landing point, "scale as the goal" as the strategic landing point, and pan-B2C as the core business model and continuously extends outward. The company also continues to expand across geographies and long tails to cover all scenes of users.
Affinitisation 1.0
We organized the data collected from surveys and interviews using affinity mapping, allowing us to identify recurring problems and trends. Subsequently, we categorized them into archetypes based on the predominant personality types observed.
yellow
Define
blue
pink
Green
Dragonfly
lifestyleThe Dragonfly enjoys their life and is more inclined to utilize and learn technology to develop a more valuable lifestyle for a better living experience
Archetypes
Butterfly
Career & social goalsThe Butterfly aspires to achieve their career and social goals through the use of technology.
Phoenix
Disease & healtThe Phoenix struggles with some physical and mental illnesses. They tend to use technology to make their life easier, more comfortable, and more convenient
Affinitisation 2.0
This time around, we revisited our data, opting for a different approach by synthesizing it to better align with the diverse needs of our target audience. This enabled us to streamline the development of our archetypes in the subsequent stage.
We aim to provide an adaptive system that allows individuals to be more independent and comfortable at home and experience a better aging process.
Ideation
We delved into various aspects, such as holistic workspaces, personalized AI assistants, and health and wellness mirror hubs. These explorations revealed the complexity of aging, prompting us to shift towards a larger adaptive system that seamlessly integrates into individuals' lives at any stage. Following this stage, we conducted in-depth research into the concerns individuals have regarding the adoption of new technology and trends.
User Trust
Future of Relationships with AI
Keywords
Sustainability
Emotional Safety
Existing rituals and behaviors
Privacy Across Generations
Data Privacy
Artificial Intelligence
Medical System
Frequency
Physical signals relate to mental health
Erikson's Stages of Development
We researched about Erikson’s stage of development to understand the series of eight stages that a healthy developing individual should pass through from infancy to late adulthood. Erikson proposed that personality evolves through sequential stages, in contrast to Freud's psychosexual theory. Erikson emphasized the lifelong influence of social experiences on personality development, highlighting the importance of relationships and social interactions.
How does it work?
Refine
Our explorations revealed the intricate and varied nature of aging, a process unique to each individual. This realization prompted us to move beyond the concept of an independent product and explore the development of a larger adaptive system capable of seamlessly integrating into a person's life at any stage of aging. This leads us to the creation of a comprehensive system.
SOl
The all encompassing intelligence,
CORE
Your hyper personalized health vault.
System Framework
AURA
An extension of you
AURA
Aura is the user-facing component of the system that keeps people connected, informed, and adventurous. It is a front-end system that interacts with the user and provides them with information that is most relevant to them throughout their day. Aura integrates with all of the technology surrounding the user and works together for their benefit. It also accepts user input, allowing them to take advantage of the analyzed data that Core and Sol provide.
Aura is accessible wherever and whenever people need it, working with them throughout their lives to help them make informed decisions and take meaningful action.It serves as a friend, advisor, and mentor, providing support and guidance to help people live the best life possible.
Connection
Aura is a multifunctional system designed to keep users connected, informed, and adventurous. Serving as a friend, advisor, and mentor, it offers support and guidance to enhance people's lives.
Devices
Every device, interface, and user interaction falls within the scope of Aura, providing a cohesive and intuitive experience everywhere.
One of the primary features is the two-way communication between our users and Aura that allows them to tailor the system to their specific needs and preferences, creating a personalized experience that supports them in achieving their goals.
Communication
STORYBOARD
Aura has been with Lucas since he was born. As Lucas has grown, Aura has noticed his increasing interest in Tennis.
Lucas’s father receives a notification from his own Aura about his son’s interest in tennis lessons, along with suggestions for equipment and courts nearby.
Throughout Lucas’s early childhood, Aura recommends tennis videos and games, which Lucas loves.
To support his son, Lucas’s dad orders the equipment. Based on their schedules, Aura coordinates an ideal lesson time for both of them.
As Lucas grows older, his Aura suggests that he may be interested in tennis lessons.
Lucas is happy to be further exploring his interest thanks to his Aura. He continues to take tennis lessons for many years to come.
Technology
We proposed to Amazon establish a third-party API-like initiative for Aura, potentially in the form of physical micro hardware or accessible cloud-based software. This initiative would be distributed to third-party companies to integrate into the Amazon AURA ecosystem, stimulating the market for AURA-enabled smart products. With multiple AURA-enabled devices such as wearables, Amazon Echo, automotive, and other personal devices, data collection from diverse access points would be facilitated. Analyzing data from these sources would empower Aura to deliver timely and pertinent information, enhancing users' daily navigation.
The HubConcepts
With this concept, the base device, or "hub,” could utilize an existing Alexa and all future adaptations. In this configuration, Aura will be able to integrate with the basic modules of this system to collect information about them and their environment over time. The system could be integrated with future devices to extend their capabilities. Perhaps a tennis racket to measure swing and performance, a walking cane to measure walking cadence, or any other combination of needs that a person could have.
Portable Device
A portable device that has a body with cameras, microphones, biometric sensors, and wireless capabilities that can adapt to many different form factors. It has a body that can be rotated, and it can be connected to a head that can spin longitudinally for it. Through this head, it can achieve 360 degrees of rotation. It can be hung on a backpack, worn as an earring, a necklace, or an accessory. This personal device will allow the Aura system to accompany people wherever they go and change with them based on the scenario.
Core
Core serves as the secure subsystem within Aura dedicated to medical tracking and health information management. It tracks users' activity, diet, and health by consolidating biosensor data from various devices, maintaining a secure record of users' health data and trends over time. This data enables insights into risk factors and suggestions for potential mitigations of underlying conditions.
Its primary feature is securely recording individuals' health data and trends, empowering users with valuable insights into their well-being and potential risk factors.
Health tracking
Aura is a multifunctional system designed to keep users connected, informed, and adventurous. Serving as a friend, advisor, and mentor, it offers support and guidance to enhance people's lives.
Core-Enabled Monitoring Expansion
Users of Core enabled Aura could utilize wearables, medical patches or implants, and future devices and yet-to-be discovered methods of monitoring . This data would then be analyzed and stored in Core and relayed back to individuals through Aura and its realm of devices.
Smart mirror analyzes health using advanced tech, integrates data from devices, AI, and Aura, Core, and Sol. Minimizes doctor visits, enhances awareness, offers tele-doc services.
Aura mirror
STORYBOARD
When Lucas is 20 years old, he enables CORE, giving him more insight into his health.
Based on his new meal plan, Lucas’s Aura recommends ingredients, which Lucas then orders from Whole Foods.
Because Lucas’s CORE connects to both his father’s health data and doctor, Lucas receives a notification that his father has diabetes and that he may also be at risk.
Lucas feels confident and continues to manage his health with Aura and Core.
Lucas scans his meals and works with his doctor to check his current meal plan and make necessary adjustments.
SOL
Sol serves as the backbone of the Aura and Core systems, orchestrating the flow of anonymized data from Aura devices to enable insightful user experiences. It empowers Aura to provide personalized insights and fosters connection with users' goals. Additionally, Sol fuels Core with deep health insights derived from vast data pools, acting as the system's soul. As the beating heart of our ecosystem, Sol connects people across time and space, enhancing lives at every stage.
With each interaction, Sol grows more intelligent, fortifying our ecosystem to offer unparalleled monitoring and insights for a healthier life. Early implementation promises a future brimming with potential and endless possibilities.
