Samsung - Hearing Hands Samsung put out an ad to promote it's service for the deaf in Istanbul, a video call centre. I found it interesting for a couple different reasons: 1. How weird it can be when brands 'do good' with an agenda I've been reading about this idea of 'goodvertising' (Thomas Kolster) which deals with 'sustainable communication' and how advertising needs to deal with real issues people care about to keep selling their products, essentially. This Samsung ad is a good example - they are linking their product with a real life enactment of making a deaf person's experience better by getting people to learn sign language and talk to him. It was really touching to see the effort to be more inclusive of someone with a disability but at the same time it felt exploitive, because at the end of the day Samsung just wants its product to sell, right? Like they're using this guy and his disability to create positive emotion and make people associate that good feeling with Samsung so sales go up. 2. How alienating having a disability can be On another level, it really struck a cord with me about how lonely it must feel to not be able to communicate with people in everyday situations. Why don't we all learn sign language when we're young? Putting myself in his shoes I can imagine how fustrated I'd feel going about a normal day when I can't communicate with anyone easily, only by writing it down. Are there ways we can be more inclusive of people with disabilities?

Dashboards The main patient dashboard and individual dashboard. The full images allow easy recognition of each patient, and on clicking expands to the personalised page. General info and hydration level is shown, with the image becoming orange if they are significantly dehydrated. The information on the individual dashboard is mostly automated and aims to help the carer take positive action - the amount of remaining water required will be calculated and the correct alternatives made clear. Reminders change automatically based on water intake and are connected to the patients cup to show alerts.

Feedback

The concept and aesthetic got positive feedback, and we got some suggestions: - try to add some small animations - make the cup notification more simple and obvious - show the interface in context With this Ralf is switching tasks to attempt the animation, Josh will takeover the layout, Callum will rework the cup, Paige work on the context images and I'll put together the content and layout of the presentation. We've worked well as a team and delegated tasks well to suit the timeframe - so far so good.

Some of the basic data graphics to put into the interface. We divided up all the assets we needed between us - Josh worked on the main dashboard and the levels, Paige on the alternative icons, Callum on the cup, Ralf on the dashboard layout and me on the tracked history and reminders. By using the inspiration images we gathered we all managed to get them looking cohesive and could just put them together in the layout.

Interface inspiration We wanted our interface to be sleek, clean, and not completely flat colours like all the apps we've seen. We decided to use Frutiger as our main typeface and drew some imagery inspiration for the information data from the examples above. Source: Behance

Logo Our name stuck around from the beginning - Ralf thought of 'well', simple link between well-being and a well for water. We looked through some typefaces - we wanted something friendly, not overly technological, but still modern and sleek. We went with one Josh showed as an option which has a good balance between modern and friendly. Together we felt that a simple typeface was the better option and the interface and other componenents didnt lend themselves well to a marque.

Some information from the same RCN/NHS report on hydration about older people specifically that gave us a more focused issue to tackle: - A conservative estimate for older adults is that daily intake of fluids should not be less than 1.6 litres per day. Unfortunately, many older people do not drink adequate amounts of water. A recent survey of water provision in UK care homes for the elderly found that most residents only consumed 2-4 glasses of water per day (480-960ml). - Some older people have diminished appetites or poor nutrition and may miss out on the valuable component of their fluid intake contained in food. - Thirst, the body’s natural response to dehydration, has been shown to be impaired in older people. Patients with stroke or those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease may be particularly insensitive to thirst. - Carers have a vital role in supporting older, more dependent, individuals to maintain healthy hydration levels. They should be aware of the individual’s need for fluid and encourage them to drink. Many types of foods contain a substantial amount of water. If an older person finds it difficult to increase the amount of fluid drunk, it may be possible to help maintain adequate hydration levels by increasing the amount of moisture consumed in foods, such as fruit and vegetables which are about 80-90 per cent water. http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/70374/Hydration_Toolkit_-_Entire_and_In_Order.pdf

Blufit There were already a few hydration apps about but we thought they weren't very helpful - however we did come across an indiegogo campaign for this smart bottle/app which was essentially what our concept was. Its a glass bottle that determines how much water you need, how much you've drank and alerts you when it's time to hydrate. As you drink it automatically records the time and amount of water you've drank and transmits the data to your phone, and has customizable alert lights, sounds and phone notifications when you are behind. You still have to manually input weight, age, temperature, humidity etc to the app. Although the campaign has some pissed off investors because there's no sign of production, we felt we could zone in on the issue of hydration in the elderly instead anyway to make a more original concept that hasn't really been done.

Well

We were thinking for our product instead of having a wearable like a watch or band, we would use the patch technology and wirelessly connect it to a smart bottle made of glass from the Corning concept video, where it's lightweight and can bend. The bottle surface would act as the screen that displays your hydration level, how much more you need, and would have a performance mode for when you're exercising. Our research showed that based on what exercise you'll be doing you need to drink a certain amount of water throughout the day, a certain amount right before and specific amounts for the duration as well as after. So you would input what you'll be doing (distance running, gym session etc) and it would give you your 'schedule' and issue reminders throughout the day. It would be for 18-35 year olds mainly. We could also have a secondary interface where the user can engage more - see their history, get tips/advice etc. INFO: What we need to include/visualize on interface Normal mode: Hydration status Indication of min/max hydration Dehydration alarm Hydration check option (reminders) Performance mode (when you plan to exercise/do sport): Reminders during day Reminder 2 hours before 20 min interval reminders during workout (or whatever’s relevant) Additional Platform (web/phone/screen?): Brings together general info and provides extra engagement. Benefits of hydration Negative effects of dehydration Graphs of water intake over time periods Goals (drink less coffee etc) Other ways to hydrate (foods, other drinks) Source: http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/nutrition/how-to-stay-hydrated-all-day.html

Group chat: Hydration We felt like it was done too much already to do a general health tracker, and someone suggested doing something simple like hydration, because most people don't drink enough water and its such a simple thing that affects how our bodies function. I was a little skeptical but a Google search actually turned up an extensive RCN/NHS report on the subject and its importance as a preventative measure. Exerpt from RCN report: The medical evidence for good hydration shows that it can assist in preventing or treating ailments such as: • pressure ulcers • urinary infections and incontinence • heart disease • diabetes (management of) • dizziness and confusion leading to falls • skin conditions • constipation • kidney stones • low blood pressure • cognitive impairment • poor oral health Furthermore, dehydration has been shown to increase by two-fold the mortality of patients admitted to hospital with a stroke and to increase the length of hospital stay for patients with community- acquired pneumonia. Improving hydration brings well-being and better quality of life for patients. It can allow reduced use of medication and prevent illness. Source: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/70374/Hydration_Toolkit_-_Entire_and_In_Order.pdf

Meta Augmented Reality Glasses Apparantly inspired by Iron Man, a US augmented reality tech company in the US have been working on the Meta pro, what some people call "google glass on crack". The graphics don't look great and it doesn't really look like it works very smoothly, but I thought their videos were interesting because majority of the companies talking about this stuff just put up visualisations and snazzy concept videos, but this shows it actually being used in real life. I thought using holographs as a way to display information anywhere and not need a screen at all would be awesome especially for people who don't want to wear something clunky, but I guess you'd have to wear glasses all the time so that doesn't really work.

Health Mapper I wanted to see what kind of apps were already out there so searched in the App store and this one popped up. It tries to help you track everything daily so you and your doctor can have more information to work with basically. It doesn't diagnose, just tracks. You input symptoms, conditions, medication, diet, sleep, mood etc and you can then see the data and print out reports for your doctor. It's a good idea but the major drawback is having to input so much data. They say 'spend a minute each day' but I can see it taking up so much more time. Wireless automatic data transmitters will definitely change this, but the challenge is still to help people understand what it all means and make links between everything to take positive action. Again flat design, with a friendly feel and bright warm colours. Looks designed to make you feel like it's all less daunting than it is.

Heart Rate Looked back at an app I have on my iPhone which takes your heart rate when you put your finger over the camera lens. You're meant to set your heart rate zone I think and you can label your readings so you know how your heart rate is affected by different things. It also encourages you to take up their option for an exercise plan. I don't use it properly so not sure how good it is (or how understandable/relevant) but was looking at the interface as well. Clean flat design in keeping with current trends. Cool way to measure with the finger on the lens.

"Forget wristbands, the future of health is skin mounted." In the journal Science, two professors explained their design for a wireless health tracker that would monitor a person's health 24/7 without interfering with day to day activity. These would provide much clearer information than wristbands and clip-ons, and they're hoping they would not just track health but do things like analyse motion data for signals that someone is developing Parkinsons - i.e early detection of diseases. I definitely think it'd be great to move away from obtrusive wearables like the wristbands... I don't even wear a watch because I hate how it feels so I wouldn't be one to adopt the Fitbit for sure. Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275049.php

Preventative care "There has been a sustained push to encourage people to live healthier lives for some years. The government is working with industry on a variety of schemes, which is seeing clearer labelling on food and drinks and reduced levels of salt, sugar and trans-fats." - BBC News, 'The Changing NHS' Although at first we thought it was a bit cliche to look at general well-being, research on the topic of future health care is all about living better to prevent issues before they arise. Stuff like the Fitbit and the Jawbone (and so many others) act as pedometers, sleep monitors and alarms - any other info the user has to input themselves. They really just monitor movement - something that was a bit more contextual would be helpful for people who aren't motivated to spend time collecting additional info. We were thinging about how we could combine the 'movement' data with our everyday lives to help people take action. So perhaps the technology can also be used to scan what you're eating/drinking/buying to see its nutritional content, advise you and keep note of what you consume. Almost like a digital personal nutritionist.

Grandparents two cents..

I chatted with my grandparents about their health situations at home - this was a little pointless since my Pa keeps heart rate monitors in his house and insists on checking everyone daily, so he's pretty on top of things as it is. Although they've had their share of major medical issues they don't actually visit the doctor much for routine check ups. They said the main thing they have to keep tabs of is blood sugar, cholesterol and heart rate. Pa said a 'watch that measured and showed all those at once' would be useful and he'd wear one. They insist they don't need pill reminders (dubious) but I did think that something that registered this data and gave alarms for unusual levels, suggestions for diet choices and activities and medicine reminders would be really helpful for older people.