Minor Project - Task 3
TASK 3 - Project Proposal
WEEK 01 - WEEK 14Aina Ahmed Aleem | 0355701 | BDCM
- LECTURES
- INSTRUCTIONS
- PROTOTYPE STAGE
- USABILITY GOALS AND TESTING TASKS
- USER TESTING VERSION 1
- FINDINGS AND PROTOTYPE ITERATIONS
- PROTOTYPE VERSION 2
- USER TESTING VERSION 2
- USER TESTING RESULTS
- FINAL PROTOTYPE REFINEMENTS
- FINAL SOLUTION: LUMI
- FINAL PRESENTATION
- REFLECTION
During this task, we developed our proposed solution, LUMI, into an interactive prototype and conducted user testing to evaluate how effectively caregivers could use the application.
The testing results and participant feedback were then used to identify problems, improve the design, and develop a more refined final prototype.
During the Prototype stage, we transformed the LUMI concept developed in Task 2 into an interactive mobile application prototype.
The prototype was designed around the needs identified during our earlier caregiver research. It included features for both immediate and ongoing caregiver support, such as:
- Help Me Now
- AI-powered caregiving support
- Wellbeing Dashboard
- Caregiver resources
- Episode tracking
- Care-management tools
- Family support
- Nearby services
- Emergency SOS
Creating an interactive prototype allowed us to test not only the visual design but also the navigation, user flow, content, and overall experience.
Before conducting user testing, we established usability goals based on four areas:
Effectiveness – whether users could successfully complete the required tasks.
Efficiency – how quickly users could complete tasks and access important features.
Learnability – whether users could understand and learn how to use the application easily.
Satisfaction – whether users were satisfied with their overall experience using LUMI.
Participants were given tasks that represented the main user journey, including completing onboarding, accessing Help Me Now, describing a caregiving situation, interacting with the guidance, and checking the Wellbeing Dashboard.
Participants interacted with the prototype and completed the assigned tasks. After testing, we conducted debrief interviews to understand their experience and identify areas that could be improved.
The testing showed that participants were generally able to understand and navigate the application. However, an important issue was identified with the original Help Me Now experience.
Participants felt that the guidance was too static and information-heavy. Although the information was useful, the experience felt more like reading instructions rather than receiving personalised support during a difficult moment.
Based on the first round of user testing, we refined the prototype to better meet caregivers’ needs.
The main improvement was changing Help Me Now from a more structured guidance system into a conversational AI experience.
Instead of receiving a large amount of information at once, caregivers could describe what they were experiencing naturally and receive shorter, more contextual responses through a conversation.
We also made the content more caregiver-centred. Some earlier content focused too heavily on managing the patient, so we strengthened areas related to caregiver stress, burnout, emotional wellbeing, and personal support.
These changes resulted in Prototype Version 2.
The updated Help Me Now feature allowed caregivers to explain their situation in their own words and continue a conversation based on their needs.
At the end of the interaction, caregivers could also review and save a conversation or episode summary for future reference.
Other key features included the Wellbeing Dashboard, caregiver-focused resources, care-management tools, family support, nearby services, and Emergency SOS.
After making the improvements, we conducted another round of testing to evaluate the updated prototype.
For Version 2, we collected both task-based usability results, debrief feedback, and survey responses.
The results were evaluated according to our four usability goals:
- Effectiveness through task completion
- Efficiency through task completion time
- Learnability through users’ ability to understand and navigate the application
- Satisfaction through post-testing survey responses
The second version received more positive feedback, particularly regarding the conversational AI experience, clearer information, ease of navigation, and stronger caregiver focus.
The testing results showed that the improvements made between Version 1 and Version 2 created a more usable and supportive experience.
Participants found the conversational AI more engaging and personalised compared to the earlier static guidance.
The Wellbeing Dashboard was also considered useful because it shifted attention towards the caregiver’s own stress and wellbeing, rather than focusing only on their caregiving responsibilities.
The survey results also showed high overall satisfaction with the updated prototype.
These findings demonstrated the importance of testing and iteration in improving the final user experience.
FINAL PROTOTYPE REFINEMENTS
After evaluating the final testing results, we made two additional refinements to improve accessibility and clarity.Perceived Stress Scale
We added the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to the Wellbeing Dashboard.
Previously, stress monitoring relied mainly on Apple Watch data. Adding the PSS allows caregivers who do not own or connect an Apple Watch to assess their perceived stress level through a self-reported assessment.
This makes the wellbeing feature more accessible to a wider range of caregivers.
Emergency SOS
We also changed the Emergency SOS button to red.
This creates a clearer visual distinction and makes the emergency feature easier to recognise and locate quickly during an urgent situation.
Task 3 was the most intensive stage of the project because it involved developing the prototype, conducting user testing, analysing the results, making improvements, and preparing the final presentation.
Since our group consisted of only myself and Eshaa, I had to take on a large amount of the workload across the design, prototype refinement, testing documentation, result analysis, presentation slides, and final preparation. Although this was challenging, it allowed me to be involved closely in almost every stage of developing the final solution.
One of my biggest observations was how much a prototype can change after actual users interact with it.
Our first version technically provided guidance, but testing showed that the way the information was delivered did not fully meet the caregivers’ needs. Changing the experience from static guidance to a more conversational interaction made the concept feel more supportive and personalised.
I also observed that accessibility needs to be considered beyond the ideal user scenario. For example, relying only on Apple Watch data for stress monitoring would exclude caregivers who do not own a wearable device. This led to the addition of the Perceived Stress Scale.
The main thing I learned from Task 3 was the importance of iteration.
A prototype should not be treated as a finished solution simply because it functions. User testing can reveal problems that are difficult to recognise while designing, and both quantitative results and qualitative feedback are important for understanding whether a solution actually meets user needs.
Through this task, I gained more experience in UI/UX design, interactive prototyping, usability testing, analysing user feedback, design iteration, and presenting a complete design solution.
Overall, Task 3 helped me see how the entire Design Thinking process connects. The final prototype was not simply an idea we created at the end; it developed continuously from the interviews in Task 1, the definition and ideation work in Task 2, and the testing and refinement completed in Task 3.
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