This was my capstone project for my master’s degree, done in collaboration with CreateAbility, Inc. Our project focused on helping people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) make better decisions and explore a possible app idea. We did a lot of qualitative research to understand their challenges and found that scheduling and planning are some of the hardest parts of their daily lives. So, we designed a planning and scheduling app to help with memory and organization.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are often caused by blows to the head from accidents or sports injuries. They can lead to lasting cognitive impairments, such as memory deficits, communication barriers, and difficulty solving problems.
The goal of this project was to design a decision-making support tool to help individuals with TBIs become more independent. Many people with brain injuries struggle with thinking and decision-making, making it difficult for them to make sound choices.
As a UX Designer, I conducted secondary research to explain TBI symptoms to the team, designed the research approach, conducted two interviews and user tests, brainstormed ideas, and primarily focused on sketching and prototyping.
To better understand our target population, we first learned what TBI is and how it affects cognitive function, executive function, and mental well-being. We conducted online observations by joining some online groups to better understand the specific challenges they face. We also consulted several experts in the field to design better interview questions for individuals with TBI.
We conducted interviews and experince sampling. Participants were at the independent level according to the Rancho Los Amigos Scale, a tool used to measure cognitive recovery after TBI. The interview focused on understanding their challenges in decision-making. We discovered that difficulty with planning—specifically, a lack of organization and heavy reliance on reminders/notes—was a key reason others, such as caregivers, perceived their decisions as not being 'good'.
The second round of interviews focused on understanding why they struggle with planning and scheduling.
There are a few apps specifically designed for individuals with TBI to help with decision-making. However, we researched some apps that can improve cognitive skills and an app designed for decision-making, but for a different target audience.
We conducted interviews with six participants: two experts, three individuals with BI, and one caregiver. Here are the key points from the interviews:
Variability in TBI
The impact depends on the location of the injury, leading to a range of symptoms. In some cases, the condition may fluctuate unpredictably, improving at times but worsening again later.
Perceptions of Decision-Making
Individuals with BI don’t feel they have issues with decision-making, but stakeholders and clinical experts believe they don’t make good decisions. However, they pointed out that they do have issues with planning, especially right after the injury, when they couldn’t prioritize their daily schedule.
Memory Impairment
Memory impairment is a common challenge, with many individuals transitioning from strong memorization skills to relying heavily on notes. One participant mentioned that when she goes to a new place, she takes notes on where the elevator is located due to her physical disability.
Need for Planning Management
Memory deficits require individuals with TBI to plan tasks well in advance, organizing them for days, weeks, or even months. They often spend time planning their entire weekly schedule and reviewing the results of the previous week.
Impulsivity Control
Experts suggested that difficulty with impulse control could be a promising area for design intervention. One participant gave an example, explaining that some people may not consider budget and end up spending most of it while grocery shopping.
Mood Tracking Tools
Mood tracking tools were recommended by our TBI interviewees to help monitor and manage emotional fluctuations.
Experience sampling, often linked to diary studies and probing, involves collecting user-submitted data. We chose this method due to the lack of opportunities for in-person observation, as participants often felt fatigued and struggled to remember what they had said or done during the meeting.
Based on insights from the interviews, we decided to explore the details of planning management further. We analyzed 15 days of diary entries and screenshots of mobile app usage for daily planning and scheduling with two participants. Here are the key points:
Their scheduling and planning methods are similar to ours
Events are color-coded to categorize types. To-do lists and calendar events are created in familiar ways, possibly due to mobile app limitations.
To-do lists are frequently reused and updated
One participant maintains the same daily to-do list in her notes, adding new tasks as needed.
Medicine-intake reminders are set even for daily actions
One participant sets a daily reminder for midday medications but excludes morning and evening doses. We may infer that midday tasks are easier to be forgotten.
Alarms are used to prevent distractions
One participant sets 30-minute alarms to stay focused, as she is easily distracted by her environment and thoughts.
We created a concept map using an affinity diagram to organize all the data we collected. The concept map highlights the connections between various challenges and how support can address them, as well as how some challenges are interconnected.
Personas played a key role in our ideation and design process to create a human-centered design. With so much data, it was hard to find a starting point. To address this, we developed personas and selected data related to challenges in daily planning and conflicts between independence and support. This helped us stay focused on target populations and get a clearer picture of what we were designing for.
We collected a wide range of data to better understand our target population. While some of the data may not directly relate to decision-making or planning management, it provided valuable insights into their behaviors and circumstances. This broader understanding allowed us to fully consider their situation and design a more effective and empathetic solution.
We organized the data we collected into 13 subcategories. These categories include challenges in emotion, incomprehension, support, physical body, finance, memory, planning, attention, speech, understanding, post-injury symptoms, actions they took, and limitations they faced.
We created a mind map to generate ideas for our two personas as the center subject. We explored ten possible design directions, including five formats—alarm, calendar, to-do list, game, and note-taking—and five key characteristics—smart functionality, collaboration, real-time updates, attention improvement, and accessibility.
After a series of ideation sessions, we narrowed our focus to four themes that could potentially assist our target audience: calendar, to-do list, accessibility, and collaboration. This led to the selection of three key elements for our design, considering feasibility and scope: collaborative calendar, saving tasks/habits while allowing repeats, and incentives with an addition of journaling. The bellowing picture is my sketching.
While AI can simplify scheduling, our goal was to help users develop independent planning skills rather than rely on automation. AI works well for structured tasks like business scheduling, but personal planning requires more flexibility and privacy. By focusing on skill-building, we ensured the design empowers users rather than replacing their decision-making process.
We selected four key features that could assist the target population with scheduling. These features are designed to support various levels of cognitive impairment, particularly memory deficits.
We conducted one-on-one user testing with five participants—four individuals with brain injuries and one caregiver. Using slides, we introduced the app's features and asked questions about their experience, feelings, and accessibility needs. The image below is a flyer we created to recruit participants.
Improving Accessibility and Icon Clarity
Support for accessibility is crucial, especially for users with visual impairments, requiring larger contact icons, descriptive mood icons, and clear text and call options.
Simplify Task Creation
Participants found the steps to create a task too complex, especially for non-tech-savvy users. Limiting the number of steps may help avoid overwhelming users.
Schedule Management Issues
A participant raised concerns about how the system handles rescheduled events. A shared calendar could be a solution.
Effective Notifications
Some participants rarely check emails or messages, so a more effective notification system is needed.
Widget Awareness
Two participants were unaware of widgets, suggesting the need for a tutorial or help center within the app.
Journaling for Self-Reflection
Most participants valued journaling for self-reflection, highlighting the importance of this feature.
Mixed Reactions to Incentives
While one participant found stickers childish, others appreciated them and suggested more variety. Stickers seem to be a favored incentive.
We invited two alumni who are UX designers to evaluate our design features. Here are their suggestions:
Ensure Consistency
Address design inconsistencies by standardizing button shapes and list formats.
Visual Accessibility
Improve accessibility by enhancing screen reader compatibility and color contrast.
Primary vs. Secondary Buttons
Clearly distinguish between primary ("save") and secondary ("delete") buttons.
Text Weight Balance
Adjust text weight so smaller text isn't overshadowed by icons or larger text.
Understanding User Workflow
Ensure interface design supports how users log and view information.
The design facilitates the effortless scheduling of repetitive tasks. The inclusion of icons further enhances user experience, making it easier for individuals to locate tasks they have scheduled previously.
The chat function into the app to allow users to receive schedules from others, ensuring they won't forget important tasks. Additionally, if users are unfamiliar with scheduling, their family members can assist them remotely.
The widget that allows frequent access to their schedule and includes shortcuts to contacts based on scheduled events. This way, if they need assistance, they can quickly and easily contact the relevant individuals.
This design helps users track their emotions, especially those unaware of prolonged depression, and allows for easy emotion recording during frequent schedule checks.
In-Person Testing Constraints
Due to online testing, we were unable to observe participants' real-time behaviors and non-verbal cues. Optional camera use further limited insights into engagement and usability.
Design Scope & Simplification
While our design includes multiple features, streamlining functionality further could enhance ease of use and accessibility. Prioritizing essential tools may reduce cognitive load.
Accessibility Gaps
The current design does not fully support users with visual impairments. Future research could explore additional accessibility features to improve inclusivity.
In-Person Testing Constraints
Due to online testing, we were unable to observe participants' real-time behaviors and non-verbal cues. Optional camera use further limited insights into engagement and usability.
Design Scope & Simplification
While our design includes multiple features, streamlining functionality further could enhance ease of use and accessibility. Prioritizing essential tools may reduce cognitive load.
Accessibility Gaps
The current design does not fully support users with visual impairments. Future research could explore additional accessibility features to improve inclusivity.
