Bobby Zhao
Product Designer
WeCare
WeCare
Quality guidance for transitioning caregivers
Centralize and personalize family caregiver resources to provide quick, accessible, and community-oriented support.
Centralize and personalize family caregiver resources to provide quick, accessible, and community-oriented support.
Time
Time
Jan. 2024 - May 2024
Team
Team
Asha Wills, Bobby Zhao, Emma Stone, Yimei Hu
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Design Research,User Interview, Ideation, UIUX
Design Research,
User Interview,
Ideation, UIUX
Design Research,
User Interview, Ideation, UIUX
Background
Caregivers to aging patients experience constant burnouts due to limited knowledge and access to care resources.
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
53 Million
people in the US provide unpaid care to either an adult or child
AARP
24-41 hrs/week
is the average time caregivers spend in providing care for family members
AARP
84%
of caregivers report needing more information on caregiving topics
AARP
Problem
Problem
First time family caregivers experience constant stress and pain due to a lack of relevant care knowledge and resources.
The consequences are detrimental:
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Wasted Time
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Frequent Burnout
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Preventable Harms
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Emotional Isolation
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Solution Overview
Exploration
Journal to App:
WeCare journal’s digital twin provides a bridge to additional in-depth caregiving resources all in one place
Journal to App:
WeCare journal’s digital twin provides a bridge to additional in-depth caregiving resources all in one place
Journal to App:
WeCare journal’s digital twin provides a bridge to additional in-depth caregiving resources all in one place
Onboarding
Data Personalization:
Patient data is dynamically updated based on daily interactions to increase personalization and help provide better approaches to comfort patients.
Data Personalization:
Patient data is dynamically updated based on daily interactions to increase personalization and help provide better approaches to comfort patients.
Data Personalization:
Patient data is dynamically updated based on daily interactions to increase personalization and help provide better approaches to comfort patients.
Action
Applying community validated materials and practice to users’ own caregiving workflow
Top community inputs are featured in the next version of wecare journal, validating users’ contribution
Applying community validated materials and practice to users’ own caregiving workflow
Top community inputs are featured in the next version of wecare journal, validating users’ contribution
Inquiry
Problem Solution Fit:
Context-specific solutions explored by fellow caregiving users
Problem Solution Fit:
Context-specific solutions explored by fellow caregiving users
Problem Solution Fit:
Context-specific solutions explored by fellow caregiving users
Engagement
Gamification encourages user participation and recognizes caregivers’ value
Community-centric engagement promotes connections and minimizes social isolation
Gamification encourages user participation and recognizes caregivers’ value
Community-centric engagement promotes connections and minimizes social isolation
Problem Discovery & Definition
Problem Discovery & Definition
36
Detailed
Survey Participants
22
In-depth Caregiver Interviews
540
Minutes of
Insights
Survey
Survey
Prior to in-depth one-on-one interviews, we designed a detailed survey questionnaire to provide us with preliminary understanding of the family caregiver profile. We refined our interview guide based on the findings in this survey.
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder Mapping
1
High touch - Caregiver
Debra has the most interaction with Edward (care receiver), her primary concern with the most influence over her behavior
2
Medium touch - Care Team
A robust care team and Debra’s other family members interact with her on a weekly basis
3
Low touch - Institutions
Debra’s decisions and experience are influenced by several institutions with systemic influence but low touch
1
High touch - Caregiver
Debra has the most interaction with Edward (care receiver), her primary concern with the most influence over her behavior
2
Medium touch - Care Team
A robust care team and Debra’s other family members interact with her on a weekly basis
3
Low touch - Institutions
Debra’s decisions and experience are influenced by several institutions with systemic influence but low touch
Interview Design
Interview Design
In-depth Interview Guide
Becoming a Caregiver
Can you tell me more about when you first became aware that you provided regular care for a loved one? What was that like?
What things did you have to learn to provide care better?
What were the sources you used to learn?
Care Team
Do others help you take care of this person?
What was the process like to divide up the roles?
What is the dynamic across everyone supporting?
Challenges & Joy
What does your typical day look like?
What are/were the most challenging parts of providing care for your loved one?
Changed relationship?
Impact on personal life? work/life balance
How did you tackle these challenges?
What are the parts of providing care for your loved one that bring you joy?
What if
If all your caregiving responsibilities magically disappeared/were taken care of, what would be the first difference you noticed in your life?
Resources that you wish to have but you don’t have yet
Resources that you wish you had known before
Coping strategies for mental stress
In-depth Interview Guide
Becoming a Caregiver
Can you tell me more about when you first became aware that you provided regular care for a loved one? What was that like?
What things did you have to learn to provide care better?
What were the sources you used to learn?
Care Team
Do others help you take care of this person?
What was the process like to divide up the roles?
What is the dynamic across everyone supporting?
Challenges & Joy
What does your typical day look like?
What are/were the most challenging parts of providing care for your loved one?
Changed relationship?
Impact on personal life? work/life balance
How did you tackle these challenges?
What are the parts of providing care for your loved one that bring you joy?
What if
If all your caregiving responsibilities magically disappeared/were taken care of, what would be the first difference you noticed in your life?
Resources that you wish to have but you don’t have yet
Resources that you wish you had known before
Coping strategies for mental stress
Interviews Insights
Interviews Insights
1. Getting effective strategies to cope with receiver’s changing conditions is difficult
2. Caregiving support services are lacking in quality, accessibility and affordability
3. Caregiving team is hard to coordinate
User
Segmentation
User
Segmentation
User Segmentation
To address the multifaceted factors that attribute to caregiving burnouts, we mapped out pain points based on three contexts: stage of aging, caregiver perspective and elder perspective.
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
We have identified first time caregiver (0-12 months) with elders who are in advanced stage of cognitive and physical decline to be our target users, who currently experience the most pain points while underserved by existing service infrastructures.
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Pain Point
Definition
Pain Point
Definition
Pain Point Definition
Based on research findings, we narrowed down the biggest pain point to trouble finding and retaining relevant caregiving information and resources in the early stage of caregiving (first 12 months).
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Personas
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Solution Development
Solution Development
Design Guideline
01
01
Must integrate seamlessly into the user's daily routine.
Must integrate seamlessly into the user's daily routine.
02
02
Must lessen the user's cognitive load.
Must lessen the user's cognitive load.
03
03
Must be cost-effective and affordable
Must be cost-effective and affordable
Ideation
Product Goals
We began product conceptualization with the brainstorming and affinity mapping of product feasibility and desirability goals.
Storyboard
Extension
Engagement
Enticement
User sees WeCare poster at key clinic waiting room and is handed WeCare journal
User scans QR code to download app or visits website
User enters information to set up profile
User browses through personalized caregiving guideline and community knowledge shares based on matching algorithm
User experiences frustration in a specific caregiving task
Visitor hunts for key phrases on WeCare, eyeing possible remedies
User browses through solutions/strategies posted by other family/professional caregivers (personalized knowledge transfer)
User tries out and fine tunes different solutions.
User documents each solution experience and strategy variance based on the modification
User’s modified solution is added to the online repertoire as a solution variation
The Journal Packet
The Journal Packet
Offers a high-level overview of caregiving, equipping them with guiding and reflective questions around 5 key areas:
Finding Care
Financing Care
Coordinating care
Planning Ahead
Caring for Yourself
The Digital Twin
The Digital Twin
Exploration
Journal to Digital
Exploration
Journal to Digital
Navigation
Problem-specific
Resources
Navigation
Problem-specific
Resources
Execution
App to Journal
Execution
App to Journal
Engagement
Social Connection
Engagement
Social Connection
In-depth
information hub
In-depth
information hub
Personalized
Results
Personalized
Results
Applicable
Materials
Applicable
Materials
Dynamic
Community
Dynamic
Community
Product
Planning
Product
Planning
Product Planning
Core Features
Searchable Knowledge Base
Function: Allows caregivers to input questions and browse categories.
Components:
Smart search bar (natural language queries)
Categorized resource hub (FAQs, common scenarios)
Resource Recommendation Engine
Function: Matches users with vetted care resources based on eligibility and needs.
Components:
Onboarding form
Resource matching algorithm
Community Knowledge Share
Function: Let caregivers post questions and journal experiences that others can engage with.
Components:
Community feed with search, tags, and likes
“Care Journal” for story logging
Caregiving Roadmap
Function: Visual step-by-step guide of a personalized caregiving journey.
Components:
"To-do list" task recommendation
Progress tracker
Core Features
Searchable Knowledge Base
Function: Allows caregivers to input questions and browse categories.
Components:
Smart search bar (natural language queries)
Categorized resource hub (FAQs, common scenarios)
Resource Recommendation Engine
Function: Matches users with vetted care resources based on eligibility and needs.
Components:
Onboarding form
Resource matching algorithm
Community Knowledge Share
Function: Let caregivers post questions and journal experiences that others can engage with.
Components:
Community feed with search, tags, and likes
“Care Journal” for story logging
Caregiving Roadmap
Function: Visual step-by-step guide of a personalized caregiving journey.
Components:
"To-do list" task recommendation
Progress tracker
Sketches Feedback
The initial wireframe responses indicate that users prefer ease of information navigation and light cognitive load
Too much text on home page dashboard can be overwhelming
Too much text on home page dashboard can be overwhelming
It is helpful to see "similar solutions" on community posts
It is helpful to see "similar solutions" on community posts
All care resources and posts seem text heavy
All care resources and posts seem text heavy
Unclear how the app is connected to the journal packet
Unclear how the app is connected to the journal packet
Mid-Fi
Wireframe
Mid-Fi
Wireframe
Delivering to Caregivers
Delivering to Caregivers
Partner with nonprofits, employers, and health insurance companies to get wecare journals into the hands of family members transitioning into caregiver roles for an aging loved one.
Impact
Impact
92%
92%
Of users rated WeCare usefulness 5/5 in increasing early transition confidence
Of users rated WeCare usefulness 5/5 in increasing early transition confidence