UX/uI DESIGNThe Family Tree App
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The Family Tree App is designed to support families dealing with Alzheimer's by fostering meaningful connections between patients, caregivers, and family members. Through personalized care features, the app allows users to upload real memories and moments to stimulate conversations and cognitive engagement. It promotes stronger relationships between families and caregivers while offering insights into patient care through memory-enhancing activities and personalized treatment plans. By bridging the gap between clinical care and family involvement, the app aims to enhance in-home care and build trust through meaningful interaction.
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Start-up Company. Creating an app
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8 Weeks
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Figma, AI Illustrator, PS Photoshop, Miro
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UX · UI · Research
Goals
Empower Caregivers and Families: Provide tools that help caregivers and families improve communication and create deeper bonds with Alzheimer’s patients.
Bridge the Gap Between Clinical Care and Family Involvement: Offer a platform that facilitates personalized treatment and integrates care plans between families and professionals.
Enhance Cognitive Engagement: Encourage patients to revisit familiar memories, supporting cognitive function and emotional well-being through interactive activities.
Build Trust and Communication: Strengthen relationships among family members and caregivers by enabling shared collaboration and insights on patient care.
Target Audience
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Alzheimer’s Patients
Users who need an accessible, simple, and intuitive interface to help them engage with familiar content and support cognitive stimulation.
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Caregivers
Both formal (professional) and informal (family/friends) caregivers who require a tool to track care plans, monitor patient progress, and collaborate effectively with family members.
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Family Members
Relatives who want to stay engaged with their loved ones and actively contribute to the patient’s care and emotional well-being.
Business Goals
Increase Engagement
Drive user adoption by offering an interactive platform for memory recall, communication, and care management.
Facilitate Emotional Support
Strengthen bonds between caregivers and families by enabling them to share memories and experiences, creating a supportive ecosystem around the patient.
Ensure Data Security
Protect sensitive personal and medical information with high-level security protocols, maintaining user trust and compliance with privacy standards.
Research & Discovery
Understanding the Problem
Alzheimer’s disease affects not only memory but also relationships, emotional well-being, and communication. Many families and caregivers struggle to maintain meaningful connections as cognitive decline progresses. Existing solutions often focus purely on medical tracking, neglecting emotional engagement.
Research Methods
User Interviews
Conducted interviews with 3 family caregivers and 2 professional caregivers to understand daily challenges, emotional pain points, and care routines.Competitive Analysis
Reviewed existing apps (like MindMate and GreyMatters) to identify gaps in features, usability issues, and opportunities for innovation.Expert Insights
Consulted secondary research from Alzheimer’s associations to inform best practices for cognitive engagement and user accessibility.
“I always get happy when I look at my family's photos and I'm still holdin' on to somethin.”
Scott Holmes/Patients
“I want to provide the best service I can but it’s difficult to learn about their family and provide the care they need.”
Lina Boylan/Caregiver
I want to trust my caregiver. I wonder if the treatments are really working. I think people can benefit tremendously from really asking why they're doing certain things.
Elizabeth Holmes /Family Member
Target Audience Research
As part of the Family Tree App design process, I researched to understand better the needs of families affected by Alzheimer's. The goal was to uncover insights into how they communicate, what they do to create security for their loved ones, and the challenges they face.
1. How do you best communicate support when discussing Alzheimer’s?
Verbal Communication: 30%
Digital Communication: 60%
Paper Communication: 10%
Insight:
Most respondents prefer digital communication, indicating the need for a platform like the Family Tree App. Families increasingly rely on technology as their primary communication and support.
2. What do you do to create security for your relative?
Daily communication with my caregiver: 60%
External research: 35%
Trust in the process: 5%
Insight:
Frequent communication with caregivers is essential for families to feel secure. The app can strengthen this connection by facilitating real-time updates between families and caregivers, enabling smoother communication and better care coordination.
3. What is the most difficult thing about being a relative of a person with Alzheimer’s?
Loss of connection to memories: 80%
Following doctor’s recommendations: 5%
Lack of information: 15%
Insight:
Families' greatest challenge is losing connection to their loved ones’ memories. The Family Tree App directly addresses this issue by allowing users to upload and share real family photos, helping to rekindle memories and emotional connections.
4. How has your caregiver helped you?
Verbal consultation: 40%
Email documents and important papers: 60%
Paper handouts: 0%
Insight:
Digital tools are the preferred method for receiving important information from caregivers. The app supports this by offering a platform for easily sharing key documents, treatment updates, and personalized care programs.
Through usability testing, it became clear that patients responded best to activities involving real photos of family and friends. These familiar images triggered better emotional and cognitive responses compared to general stock photos. Family members also reported feeling more involved in their loved one’s care, noting higher levels of trust in the doctor’s treatment plan.
The feedback led to several changes that streamlined the user experience, making the app more intuitive and personalized. By connecting family members, caregivers, and patients, the Family Tree App fosters a holistic approach to Alzheimer's care, allowing patients to remain connected to their loved ones in meaningful ways.
Conclusions
