Overview:

Add a new feature(UX Design)

Tools Used: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite

Time: 4 Weeks

Introduction

Thrive Kids’Mode

About this project:

Thrive app is a hearing control app that helps people with sensor-enabled Bluetooth hearing aids control their hearing by changing settings easily, adjusting volumes, creating customized memories, and streaming music or phone calls with a button. This project aims to simplify and add an intuitive feature for kids who use a Bluetooth hearing aid device and control it through an app.

Constraints

Why a redesign?

The app gives a quick view of health information and acts as a gateway to adjust settings, change volume, create custom presets, and more. However, reviews are pointing out issues with the user interface (UI) as it's not very user-friendly for kids and elderly individuals, as well as for those with cognitive impairments. As the majority of the users of hearing aids fall into these categories, I want to create something original that is easy to understand and use for both long-time users and individuals facing difficulties.

The research findings presented several opportunities for improvement. While there were numerous areas where the app could be enhanced, the main goal of the project was to add a new feature to benefit the users. Therefore, I had to consider the constraints and focus on creating a better version of the app by incorporating this new feature.

Opportunity

After seeing the frustrations, the parents of small kids have with getting what they need from the hearing aid app, this project aims to design a seamless user experience across the app specially for kids. When adding this feature to a hearing aid app, I would like to consider things like readability, contrast, visual clarity, and iconography, accessibility features like larger text sizes, high contrast modes, and compatibility with assistive technologies.

Where to Begin?

The objective is to find out how to simplify and add an intuitive feature for kids or elderly people, who use a Bluetooth hearing aid device and control it through an app. After seeing user's frustrations and reviews, I decided to work on this problem and find a solution that provides a smooth UI flow including the existing features – noise filter, creating a new memory feature and AI-based environment adjustment features with an additional special feature that helps kids to understand the app and easily control it so that it helps them to improve their overall hearing experience and quality of life.

POV Statement

Limited Customization option and interest

Kids always look for interesting features like colors, themes, sounds, animation, customization, quick tips and tricks as well as gamification to complete a task or continue a task, as for them wearing a hearing aid is frustrating and sometimes awkward.

Parental Control and notification status

Parents of kids wearing hearing aid device need an option to supervise and restrict access to remote support or adjustment settings specially for very small kids. Accessing status information such as wearing time and battery state of charge notification is also an essential need for parents.

Remote Support

Users need an option for virtually calling or connecting an Audiologist for real time hearing adjustments as it becomes difficult to visit them frequently in-person and on the other hand a remote mic can help the elder kids to access teachers, coaches, audiologists and parents when they are in need.

Research

Competitive Analysis

It's important to consider the challenges that older adults, children, and individuals with cognitive impairments face when navigating. We should focus on providing virtual calls or audiologist consultations to accommodate their needs. Currently, there is a lack of specific options for kids and elderly users, so better instructions and remote consultations are necessary. Additionally, there are no parental controls or third-party links available for assistance.

Learnings

User Interviews

Who are the participants?


Total 5 Participants: 


• 2 of the participants are working in a hearing aid company.
• 2 of the participants use hearing aid devices.


• 1 looking for a hearing aid device.

I conducted the interviews with 5 participants:

A few important points that came out from the interviews are:

How long have you/they been using a hearing aid device?
Participants 1 & 2: Do not use a hearing aid device but work in a hearing aid company.
Participant 3: Use a hearing aid device for 5 years.
Participant 4: Still looking for a hearing aid device.
Participant 5: Has a 4-year-old son, who has mild to moderate hearing loss, use a hearing aid device since he was 6 months old.
 
Starkey Hear Share: There is an assistant link but it would be better if there would be an option for remote counseling to call the audiologist and try out new hearing aid settings in real-time.
It would be great if there is an option for a third device connection to monitor the app if used by kids or elders.


myPhonak: The user says the app lacks instructions, and that better training would be helpful.
Difficult for visually impaired users, need voice-over for adjusting.
 
How does your hearing aid device and app affect your/their daily life?
-Hearing loss can lead to depression, dementia, and a higher risk of falls, thus hearing aids make life more stable and safer. It helps erase depression and decrease the risk of falls.
-For people like adults using the app and becoming more comfortable with new technology is little difficult, they need guidance and support most of the time.
-It helps kids to listen to class lectures properly and helps in studying.
 
Is there any problem you/they find in the app? How do you think the problem can be solved?
-There is no proper notification or status bar option.
-Lack of proper guidance.
-Parental control for kids or a third-party connection to the app for help and support.
-Option to remotely call the Audiologist for tuning and adjusting the settings if there is any problem.
  
How do you think adding a feature for elderly users or kids, by adding a separate mode will help such users? Do you want to suggest anything?
Adding a separate feature for kids or elderly people would be a good idea.
Kids and elderly users need special care and help, elders and kids easily get frustrated. The app should be very simple for elders and interesting for kids.
Kids should always be guided by a family member thus they need parental control.
 

Affinity Mapping

After carrying out the research and interviews the key points were collected and categorized in an affinity diagram attached below, this diagram consists of key points categorized as - Interactive games, parental control options, educational contents, special needs, social networking and gamification.

Click here to view the Affinity Mapping Diagram

Define

Putting all the above pain points, challenges and goals together the key features to be worked upon are :

  • Personalization: A profile personalization page with options for creating or adding avatars, developing themes from achieving levels, and selecting colors.

  • Control and notification status: There should be an option for kids, parents, and Audiologists to adjust the volume and change the program of their hearing aids. Create preferred settings for specific listening situations. Access the status notification to check the on/off status and battery charge status.

  • Parental Control: Parents of kids wearing hearing aid devices need the option to supervise and restrict access to remote support or need access to adjustment settings, especially for kids. ( by third device connection)

  • Gamification: Gamification of the wearing time, wellness report, and cleaning hearing aid to develop healthy hearing aid habits by achieving virtual pets and scoring to create custom avatars. (Animations and icons)

  • Remote Support: Users need an option for virtually calling or connecting with an Audiologist for real-time hearing adjustments as it becomes difficult to visit them frequently in person on the other hand a remote mic can help the elderly kids access teachers, coaches, audiologists, and parents when they are in need.

  • Hearing aid device and charging case color selection(Styling): Kids often love to color match and style products.

User Personas

Kim loves gamification, and he needs a solution that can motivate him to perform various tasks related to hearing aid maintenance.

Natalie is a trend follower and would love customization of her hearing aid device and the app.

Click to view : User Flow and Task Flows

Design

Wireframing

A step-by-step development process for the new feature on the existing app, starting with initial hand sketches, proceeding to lo-fi wireframing, and concluding with branding and final high-fidelity wireframing for user testing.

Low Fidelity Wireframing- Initial hand sketches

Mid-Fidelity Wireframing

The mid-fi wireframes depicts the added features for the kid’s mode:

Homepage with a “Kids Mode” slider
option

Changing the icon color once it is on for better usability

One can choose an avatar from the avatar list
unlocked with scoring after activities

The activity page has two additional
options to achieve a score by finishing
wellness tasks.

Acitivity page has two more additional
options to achieve score by finishing
wellness tasks

The engagement page has two ore additional
options to achieve a score by completing
wellness tasks

Status bar having the option to link with
parent device to guide and monitor the
hearing aids of their kid

Linking with a third device

Remote Support(Connecting Audiologist
for real time adjustments).

Parental Control option: connecting
with the Kids device to lock/
unlock feartures that are only supervised
by parents of the kids. Call Audiologist etc

Parental control page, linked with the third device

New hearing aid settings
in real-time with hearing care
professional

After testing and Iteration

Mid-Fidelity -User Testing Results

I conducted rapid mid-fidelity user testing to to evaluate the app's usability, understand how accessible the user interface is and gather feedback on users experience with the screens.

Few important feedback from the user testing:

-There are alignment adjustments needed in some places.
-Labelling the icons required.
-How to get back to the normal mode from kids mode later?
-Place the kid’s mode icon at the top of all page and use it as a switch to get back.
-Navigation bar should be middle aligned.

Icons and UI Kit

Following the original logo and the existing brand colors of the App by Starkey, I redesigned and developed the sketches for the additional icons, logo and avatars for the kids' mode.

Kid’s mode- on and off icon & Customization icon

 Prototype Testing

  • Changed the navigation
    bar and removed the customization icon
    to replaced it on the menu page.

  • Replaced the” kids mode” icon to the top.

  • Middle aligned the navigation bar.

  • Corrected the call page navigation bar.

  • Added “enter kids mode” toggle switch on the Menu page.

  • Added customization option in the Menu page.

  • Tried to maintain the same branding color , retained the colors instead of adding new ones in equalizer page

The high-fidelity prototype underwent another round of user testing to gather feedback on the polished simulation of the final product. This testing focused on how the visual design, look, and feel of the app, as well as its functionality, contributed to a more realistic user experience.

Iterations

Before Iteration

After Iterations

Final Prototype

Final Mockups

My Challenges and Learnings:

  • This project has given me valuable real-world experience by allowing me to work on an existing app and add a new feature to it. I made sure to adhere to the existing branding, structure, and patterns while incorporating the new feature to cater to a different user group. This experience has challenged me to think critically and come up with ideas within a predefined framework.

  • One of the main challenges I faced was figuring out the right direction and focusing on adding a new feature to the existing service. Initially, I was getting distracted by considering various improvements and changing the app's user interface. However, with my mentor's guidance, I was able to understand the main goal of the project. I focused on figuring out how to add a new feature to the existing app and how it would benefit the user group.

  • This project has helped me realize the importance of working within the limitations of an existing app. While there may be opportunities to enhance the app, it's crucial to stay focused and complete the task assigned to us. We should also consider the problems and needs of the users and, most importantly, adhere to the timeframe for completing the task.