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joanne liu
Smart Bathroom Analysis Tool
UX Research
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Role
Product Designer, User Research, Prototyping and Testing
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Duration
4 months (Aug.2023 - Dec.2023)
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Team
Joanne Liu, Leesan Sun, Kathleen Yang, Shuning Yang
An Overview π
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The Smart Bathroom Analysis Tool is designed to help occupational therapists streamline the process of scoring and transcribing touch-sensing data, making their workflow more efficient and reducing manual effort.
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What is the Smart Bathroom? π½
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The Smart Bathroom Lab is part of Georgia Techβs Aware Home, which explores how technology can assist older adults with independent living. The Smart Bathroom project uses touch sensors to monitor daily bathroom activities, providing data that helps therapists assess the well-being of older adults.
However, the data analysis process for occupational therapists is currently tedious and manual, leading to inefficiencies. My project focuses on investigating these challenges and developing a user-friendly solution to improve the analysis process, making it more efficient for therapists and future clients of the Smart Bathroom.
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Who are the Users? πΌ
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Out primary users are occupational therapists who collect and transcribe the data received from the Aware Home. Then they analyze the participants' behavioral data and rate their task performance. In the future, clients and patients who use this smart toilet will also benefit from having a coherent interface that translates the data from the toilet. Having the ability to understand the data will allow them to effectively monitor their own physical health.
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Smart Bathroom Analysis Tool π»
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The Smart Bathroom Analysis Tool is designed to enhance efficiency for occupational therapists working on the GT Aware Home Smart Bathroom project. It addresses the problem of users having to frequently toggle between trial videos and Excel sheets by consolidating all necessary components into a single, streamlined interface. This solution maintains essential elements within the workspace, minimizing distractions and optimizing workflow.
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Video Timestamp Labeling π
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Trial Assessment and Scoring π
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Time/Score Comparison π
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My Approach π¦
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To understand the needs of our usersβoccupational therapistsβI employed two primary user research methods: contextual interviews and onsite observation. Additionally, a competitor analysis helped identify gaps in existing solutions.
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Contextual Interview π₯
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I conducted a contextual interview with one of our users to gain a deeper understanding of her workflow, uncover pain points, and identify specific areas of her process that required attention. Afterward, I collaborated with my team to analyze our interview notes, creating an affinity diagram that mapped out user pain points, the user journey, and the data documentation process. This helped us understand the challenges therapists face during data analysis and documentation.
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Onsite Observation π§
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To contextualize the research, my project team and I visited the GT Aware Home, where the Smart Bathroom Lab is located. We observed live trials, gaining firsthand insight into how the Smart Toilet functions, how sensor data is collected, and how camera and sensor data are integrated. This observation gave us a clearer understanding of the technical and logistical challenges faced by researchers and occupational therapists during data collection.
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Competitor Analysisπ
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I conducted a competitor analysis to assess existing products in the market that offer video behavioral coding and similar functionalities. The analysis helped me evaluate the strengths of these products, identify missing features crucial for the Smart Bathroomβs data transcription needs, and pinpoint unnecessary features that wouldnβt benefit occupational therapists.
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In many existing solutions, more features often mean higher costs and a steeper learning curve. Our goal is to strike a balance by designing a product that provides the necessary functionality while remaining intuitive and user-friendly for occupational therapists.
Findings Analysis π
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Following the user research, I performed an in-depth analysis to map out the user journey for the GT Aware Home Smart Bathroom project. This journey illustrates each step occupational therapists take in the data analysis process, from collecting sensor data to transcribing and documenting results.
Key Insights:
- Using the affinity diagram's upper hierarchy, I compiled a detailed list of user expectations for my project deliverables. This list highlights the essential features and improvements needed to streamline the data analysis process and reduce manual effort.
- An emotion graph was incorporated at the bottom of the user journey to visualize the emotional highs and lows experienced by users during their workflow. This graph pinpoints areas where users feel the most frustration or stress, which tend to occur during repetitive or time-consuming tasks.
These pain points, as identified through the emotion graph, will be given priority in the expectation list, ensuring that the final solution focuses on improving the most problematic aspects of the current workflow.
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The Process π’
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Sketching and Wireframing βοΈ
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With a clear understanding of user needs derived from the research and user expectation list, I began the sketching and wireframing phase. My goal was to design interfaces that seamlessly align with the occupational therapists' workflow. These interfaces comprise distinct sections: the pilot testing section, video timestamp section, scoring section, and comparison section. Each segment represents a vital component of my users' workflow, interconnected with one another.
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User Testing & Prototype π¦
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After designing the wireframe, we conducted two rounds of usability testing with our users to gather feedback on their understanding of the product flow, and to identify any confusion or areas for improvement. Overall, the feedback was positive, with users expressing excitement about several unique features that could greatly ease their tedious tasks. We then incorporated their suggestions into iterations and developed the final prototype.
