FLIPCOOK
DATE: May 2022
TYPE OF WORK: Group Project, 3 Members
IMPACT: Slows cognitive decline through brain training, fosters social bonding, promotes happy eating, and increases life satisfaction.
CONTRIBUTION: Literature Review, UI Interface Design, Prototype Creation, User Interviews
RESEARCH METHODS: Focus groups, Literature Review, Deductive Qualitative Research
FIELD: Design Thinking, Phygital Product, MCI
01. Overview
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) tend to feel isolated, lonely, and alienated from their daily activities, such as cooking, due to the restriction of social communication and physical autonomy. Because the neuro-psychological changes elicited by MCI can restrict autonomy, decrease socialization, and impede communication, the flipCook intends to improve psychological well-being and social engagement among MCI users. FlipCook aims to utilize assistive technologies to foster a culinary experience for older adults with MCI that can slow cognitive decline through the stimulation of social connection and physical autonomy.
02. Design Thinking Process
By using the methodology of Design Thinking, this project tried to come up with a solution for a complex problem not explored or defined well in academia.
02A. Empathize
Ideally, one should conduct on-ground research using contextual inquiry, ethnographic studies, focus groups and interviews along with a literature review.
Context:
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the transitional phase between the cognitive decline of healthy aging and the severe stages of dementia. Approximately 22% of elderly adults in the United States suffer from mild cognitive disorders that affect their executive functions and inhibit everyday activities, including cooking for themselves or their loved ones safely. Cognitive abilities are more susceptible to decline when environmental affordances and daily activities do not actively stimulate multi-skill. Since recipe sharing, cooking with others, and sharing meals are common forms of social connectivity, removing the culinary experience from the daily routine of older adults can severely impact social engagement and psychological well-being. Research has shown that the neuro-psychological changes elicited by MCI can restrict autonomy, decrease socialization, and impede communication. When constrained in this manner, patients with MCI have a higher susceptibility to being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease or a form of dementia.
Key Research Insights:
Adults diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Disorders (MCI) have issues with attention, forgetfulness, language, reasoning, judgment, and depth perception. Most research in creating assistive technologies for this user group focus on safety, monitoring, mental degeneration, and support, but little had been done to improve their quality of life or improve pleasurable experiences.
Is the cognitive load over-stimulating or under-stimulating in terms of the amount of integrated technology?
02B. Define
Design Objectives:
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Foster Social Connectivity with caretakers, friends, family, and peers
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increase the sense of belonging to reduce negative mental health effects
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help MCI patients to find a community in which they can relate to
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Stimulate Autonomy through a daily activity
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ensure the safety of the user
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promote user accessibility
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utilize technology as a means to promote human interaction and not replace it
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Prevent Rapid Degeneration of MCI conditions through brain training
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adapt existing assistive technology to provide an innovative design solution
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activate multi-sensory feedback such as auditory, tactile & visual senses
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User Persona:
Note: There are a lot of older adults who do not like to cook and would not find our intervention useful.
Conceptual Framework:
02C. Ideate
Focus Group:
4 adults above 65 years were brought together to discuss their needs and user expectations. Their collective profiling is as follows -
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Gender: 3 female, 1 male
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Cooking Experience: low (1 person), medium (2 persons), high (1 person)
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Living Environment: Community Dwellers
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Willingness to use technology: low (1 person), medium (3 persons)
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Experience with technology: low ( person), medium (3 persons)
Brain Storming:
Multiple rounds of brainstorming and design charrettes were conducted with our focus group to develop a design solution for our wicked problem. A few concerns raised during this process were:
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Safety of older adults while cooking and using sharp tools or fire.
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Keeping the device clean and waterproof.
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Monitoring adults and raising the alarm for help when needed.
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Keeping the size and the interface MCI-friendly.
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Thinking about easy, intuitive interaction design.
Older users tend to blame themselves rather than the technology if something goes wrong.
The team decided to come up with a design solution with simple tactile interactions that do not rely on prior technology knowledge while utilizing emerging technologies to ensure user safety and reduce caretaker dependency. The product's main focus would be to increase user autonomy in the kitchen to fully enjoy the cognitive and emotional benefits that cooking imparts.
02D. Prototype
Final Design Guides:
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The display monitor utilizes projection mapping to display the imagery onto smart cards that can be flipped.
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Flip is an input to change the screen on the smart card.
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The form resembles that of a spiral calendar inducing nostalgia in customers.
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The device has the ability to store user preferences.
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Allows users to share recipes, cook together (on video) and call a person for help.
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Image tracking integrated camera on the wall monitors the user for cognitive decline and sounds an alarm when in danger.
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Caretakers get an application with real-time user information.
AI CAMERA
FLIPCOOK (PHYGITAL INTERFACE)
CARETAKER APP
Design Features:
Interaction Design Features:
Interaction Prompts for MCI Users:
Verbal indirect Prompt
e.g. - announcing that oatmeal is burning.
Verbal Direct Prompt
e.g. - instructing to switch off the burner as oatmeal is burning.
Multi-model Prompt
e.g. - showing a video and instructing to switch off the burner.
Figma Prototyping of FlipCook Interface:
emulate flipping action by clicking on the page
Some pages have active buttons which will be highlighed
Visual Accessibility for MCI Users:
●High-contrast display
●Legible fonts
●Simple interface
●Consistent design layout
●Clear labeling of key controls
●Concise information
Additional Product Integrations Envisioned:
02E. Testing
The process to conduct the focus group:
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Participant and Setting: 5 adults who were above 60 years old participated in a 30–45-minute focus group session on zoom.
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Tools: Consent form, instructional step-by-step video of the prototype, physical 3D printed prototype.
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Procedure: The focus group study conducted on zoom, encompassed an evaluation and assessment of the in-progress prototype. The participants completed the consent form, were briefed with a study description, and were asked to introduce themselves. They watched a 2-3 minute video that outlined the use of flipCook. The participants were shown physical and digital prototypes. The focus group questions encompass socialization, cooking, aesthetics, and functionality.
Ideally, findings should be collated into high-frequency descriptors to produce a sentiment analysis.
Focus Group Feedback:
03. Reflection
Final Thoughts:
The flipCook is distinguishable from existing solutions for MCI cognitive prevention as it provides a user-friendly and easily accessible product developed for user simplicity. The main design feature of the flipCook is the flipping mechanism. In a study developed by Hampstead and his team (2016), it was found that simple cognitive interactions can reduce rapid degeneration. In the flipCook, flipping the page when the step of the recipe is completed instigates brain-training, user feedback, and a simple interaction and provides avenues for social collaboration in various contexts. Through the integrated audio and visual features of the flipCook, users can conduct remote cooking sessions or interact with their friends and family easily. The larger implications of this study is that it demonstrates the value of an integrated design approach to assistive technologies that could be implemented in various other settings outside of the home, such as grocery stores, retail settings, and leisure activities.
Flipcook can be used by kids and adults as it is designed to be inclusive of diverse technology capabilities.