Sometimes, you need an assistant to handle care management, so you can focus on what truly matters
FAME India a non-profit organisation for children with disabilities faced a huge challenge when the pandemic hit. Their students from low-income families, lost access to essential therapy due to educational centres being shut.
As a designer passionate about making an impact, I created an AI-powered platform to help families manage daily care and connect with therapists.
My Role
User Research, Stakeholder interviews, UX Design, User Flows, Prototyping
Collaborators
Product Manager
Timeline
8 weeks
Overview
I designed an app that could help parents find therapists, manage care through AI support, making therapy easier and empowering.
Initial Problem
The pandemic forced educational centers to close, leaving low-income families with children with disabilities without access to therapy.
DISCOVER
I surveyed and interviewed over 30 parents and staff from FAME India
FAME India is a non-profit that works to improve the quality of life of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) by providing interventions that are life-long, deep and holistic. Here is what I found:
77%
of participants reported limited access to therapy professionals.
90%
of participants said that the childrens' condition were affected by this.
OPPORTUNITY
Caretakers need more support managing children’s conditions.
My research validated the initial hypothesis and revealed another opportunity: leveraging AI. After completing an AI checklist to assess its relevance and necessity, I found that AI could be highly effective in this context.
Image Source: Fameindia.org
Image Source: Fameindia.org
How might we?
Provide children with disabilities direct access to therapy while empowering caretakers to manage their needs independently.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Other solutions they lack support for children with disabilities
Doing secondary research to find out if similar solutions exist and if so, why aren't people using them.
Practo has become very popular to find and book appointments with medical doctors online.
Anvaaya provides at home care, but only for the elderly and not for people or children with disabilities
RESEARCH
Creating research based personas
Based on insights from the interviews, I developed two user personas to guide my ideation and identify the key features the app should include.
Special needs caregivers
Needs
Find trustworthy, qualified therapists nearby or for teleconsultation
Learn how to manage her daughter’s therapy routines at home
Feel supported, informed, and connected with a community
Frustrations
Lack of clear, accessible therapy plans tailored to her child
Difficulty coordinating multiple care routines
Little to no support or guidance between therapy sessions
Special Needs Professionals
Needs
Reach families who need support but don’t know where to look
Manage appointments and patient notes efficiently
Get fairly compensated for his time and expertise
Frustrations
Difficulty finding consistent freelance work
Lack of visibility among families who need his services
Time-consuming manual scheduling and follow-ups
IDEATION
Redesigning What Didn’t Work
The first version, inspired by medical apps, felt cold and dull. I realized that users who are under so much stress, needed something playful, uplifting, and easy to use.
Final Designs
Details surrounding the key features
KEY FEATURE 1
Daily Care Guidance
AI Assistant that personalizes guidance for managing daily care routines
Recommends activities for each condition
Suggests adaptive activities based on progress
Sends reminders and encouragement daily
Connects with therapists for actionable insights
KEY FEATURE 2
Therapist Matching Support
Helps families connect with the right therapist based on their unique needs
Helps you filter by type of therapist, like speech, occupational, or behavioral
Offers smart recommendations to help you choose with confidence
Shows availability and communication preferences to make coordination easier
Final Walkthrough
Here’s a walkthrough of the app — starting with onboarding guided by our AI assistant, followed by how caregivers can access daily activity support, set helpful reminders, and search for specialists and therapists tailored to their child’s needs.
Next Steps
More research on types of at home support caretakers require
Enhancing character interactions for a more immersive experience.
Maximizing customization to meet each user's unique needs.
Testing the current workflows with target audience