LIVIA

Home Smart Healthcare Assistant

A Brown RISD MADE project

Communication Hub

Offer a peace of mind

LIVIA colletcs patients's vital and share with family members and doctors to ensure the patient in good condition.

LIVIA

Empowering for heart's health

Project Type

Product design
Design for health

Keyword

Cardio vascular disease
Surgery recovery

Role

product and interface design, User research, digital prototyping, physical prototyping, visulization

Collaborators

Jiawei Lu, UX and Product design,
Chaney He, UX and Product design,
Asad Khan, Electrical engieering
Tony Zhang, Industial design

01

Problem faced by people with CVD

In brainstorming for our project, three of our teammates discovered a shared connection: all our families are affected by cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This realization led us to explore how design could alleviate some of the challenges these patients face, especially considering the significant life changes post-surgery

Crowned as the leading cause of death in the U.S., coronary heart disease affects millions. Each year sees about 500,000 open heart surgeries, often involving complex procedures. Post-surgery, patients typically undergo major life changes and need extra care.

Our user`s persona

Qualitative Research

Insights from the interviews

During the course we have had many interviews with 5 patients and a doctor (Cardiologist) and a medical startup owner. We also reached out to Health+Design Organization in RISD and got connected to some professions. We tried to understand the users as well as get an understanding of the industry.

USER SIDE

High Blood Sugar as a Side Effect of Heart Medication: Some heart medications may lead to elevated blood sugar levels, which is a concern for patients, particularly those with a predisposition to diabetes.
Regular Hospital Visits for Blood Pressure Monitoring: Patients on heart medication often require frequent hospital visits to monitor their blood pressure. Stress can sometimes influence these readings, leading to higher than normal results.
Age-Related Increase in Medication Dosage: As patients age, there may be a need to adjust the dosage of their heart medication. However, this is not an inevitable increase and should be regularly reviewed by a healthcare professional.
Risk of Diabetes from Medication: While some medications can increase the risk of developing diabetes, this depends greatly on the patient's overall health and lifestyle patterns. It's not an inevitable outcome for all patients.
Dietary Adjustments for Heart Health: Patients taking heart medication are often advised to follow a diet low in sugar, salt, oil, and sodium to support overall heart health and manage risks associated with high blood pressure and diabetes.
Early Signs of Diabetes: Symptoms such as increased thirst and vision changes can be early signs of diabetes and should be promptly discussed with a healthcare provider.
Medications Affecting Dopamine Levels and Mental Health: Certain medications can indirectly affect dopamine levels or its receptors in the brain. This might lead to mood changes, including depression, underscoring the importance of mental health support in conjunction with physical health treatment.

PROFESSIONAL SIDE

KEY TAKEAWAY

Post-cardiovascular surgery, many individuals experience drastic lifestyle changes and often need a family member for daily support. For those without a caregiver or whose family members are uninformed about their health, a smart assistant can be crucial to manage recovery activities and maintain communication with loved ones.

Our Mission Statement

Help cardiovascular disease patients facilitate a better recovery journey after surgery.

02 Ideation and prototyping

The majority of significant cardiovascular incidents predominantly affect individuals who are 65 years old or older. Recognizing that our users have a preference for physical presence within their homes, we aim to develop a solution that fosters an emotional connection with patients during their most vulnerable moments.

Form Iterations

We've designed a welcoming home assistant that interacts with our users through both its physical presence and an integrated digital interface.

System Mapping

We brought our prototypes to a senior house. We observed the life of a post - CVD patient for a day. We drew this timeline to conclude her daily life.

We recognized that surgery dramatically alters a person's life, and observed the numerous limitations they face post-surgery. From this understanding, we conceived LIVIA as not just a companion, but also as a facilitator for their daily life.
A key feature of LIVIA is its capability to integrate with other intelligent devices. Our initial model, a MVP (minimum viable product), is a smart ECG monitor designed to work in conjunction with LIVIA for everyday monitoring.

Refined User Journey

The depicted user experience demonstrates how LIVIA acts as a bridge linking patients with their loved ones who, though physically distant, deeply care about them. Additionally, LIVIA is designed to seamlessly integrate with the smart devices of others.

03 Final Product

Human Factors in Form

Interface on Device

We could map that daily routine on a timeline to facilitate a patient's everyday life. And we adapt the timeline to a wheel to fit our device's round screen. We also mapped out some key screens for the device.

Reminders

Based on our user research, we understand many small but important elements are essential to our users. We created a notification system to remind the patient about these timely.
There are small but important issues that patients and care takers often ignore:

When having a doctor`s appointment tomorrow. A lot of patients get high blood pressure because of being nervous. Please don`t worry and have a good rest!
Dear G, do you know that diabetes is often a complication of heart disease? You need to be vigilant when you experience frequent thirst and vision loss.
It's possible for some heart disease patients to experience depression as a side effect of the medication they're taking.We will provide mental support service if you are experiencing it.
You should avoid eating food with added sugar, saturated and rans fats like processed foods, fried foods, baked goods, and fatty meats. You should also eat low sodium food.

How is LIVIA working with other smart devices

2nd Iteration based on feedbacks

Based on several rounds of critics and further talking to potential users. We get a lot of feedbacks, especially on the digital interface side. We made several changes and updates on a few aspects.

04 Our Features

The LIVIA Interface

Our users, primarily aged 45 to 75, have difficulty recognizing small content on screen. In response, we've updated our interface with larger fonts and more distinct colors to ensure it's easier and more accessible for those managing this condition.