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AUMIGO

A new companion in your autism journey

Project Overview

Aumigo is a service designed for parents of autistic children to help ease the journey of managing autism. Aumigo consists of two major touch points. A digital application designed for the parents guides them on how to play and teach their children basic skills and a physical intervention consisting of various activities and games designed for the children which are facilitated to the parents through the app.

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Role

Thesis Project with Microsoft Research, India (Ludic Design for Accessibility Team)

Ethnographic Research, UX-UI Design, User Study

Duration

February - June 2022


 

Tools Used

Figma, Adobe Suite, Google Forms


 

What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder impacts the nervous system and affects the overall cognitive, emotional, social and physical health of an individual.
The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Common symptoms include difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions, obsessive interests and repetitive behaviour.

Challenges faced

Diagram titled 'Challenges faced,' listing challenges such as Sensory Dysfunction, Fine and Gross Motor

Why Autism?

While the disorder is not rare, a multitude of people with autism in India have not been diagnosed and do not receive the services they need.
Currently, the needs of autistic children in India are not being met in either the regular or special education systems.
The autism movement in India has come a long way in the past two decades, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

After the initial primary and secondary research, I narrowed down on interpersonal skills for autistic children.

Why interpersonal skills?

Helping children with autism to develop interpersonal skills is one of the first steps in making them independent.

Diagram illustrating three components of interpersonal skills: Verbal Communication, Non-Verbal Communication, and Relationship Management. Below the labels, a graphic shows three people interacting, with speech and thought bubbles representing communication, symbolizing the various ways people connect and express themselves in interpersonal interactions.

Parents' perspective

Sometimes if he could just tell me what is wrong...

Communicates through gestures and symbols. We are trying to make him as independent as possible...

If I could just pop his bubble/ his world he is in, he will be like everybody else...

User Personas

It was evident that there would be two primary users of the platform. 

An illustration of a mother

PRIYA BAPAT -  MOM

  • Mother to a 9 year old girl and 5 year old boy

  • On a break from her career

  • Proudly walking through the journey of autism

  • Would like to pursue her career again

Goals:​ ​

  • Help her son predict conversations better so he knows what to say, when and how

  • To help her son communicate properly

  • Have an individual identity and have some time to herself in the day

Frustrations:​ 

  • Not being able to track the development of her son efficiently

  • Therapy being very expensive and not easily accessible

  • The worry of "what will happen when I am not there"

  • Having very less first hand information, not knowing where to begin

ASHU BAPAT - SON

  • Verbal

  • Goes to special school

  • Got diagnosed when he was 2

Goals:​ 

  • To have small conversations with mom and peers

  • Build relationships and friends

  • Learn to communicate

Frustrations:​ 

  • Not being able to predict replies

  • People around me not understanding my difficulty

  • Not being able to pay attention

  • Not being able to put words together

An illustration of Ashu - the son

Problem Statement

How might we improve the interpersonal skills of the autistic children who are high functioning and verbal and provide their parents with the guidance for the same?

Quotes by Therapists and Parents

After identifying problem statement, primary research was conducted again. This helped in identifying the nuanced details of the problems faced before beginning the process of ideation.

No learning should happen through screen for autistic children

Learning of language should happen through everyday activities

Shared attention gets better - attention gets better - listening gets better - language gets better

Illustration of a therapist with a child

Its difficult for him to pay attention. He just wants to finish it off

There are times when we are going backwards

My husband was in denial for the initial years which lead to us being distant

Illustration of parents playing with their autistic child

I left my job and decided to give my 100% to my son

Therapies are expensive and are difficult to access

Taking a child to the therapy and bringing him back is a task in itself. Its very far and takes a lot of driving. The absence of us is difficult to explain to others when we want to keep it discrete

An illustration of parents spending time with their child

Affinity Mapping

To analyse insights from the interviews affinity mapping was done. There were several categories which were identified for an intervention.

Affinity mapping board showing insights categorized into themes for interventions. The themes include 'Scientific Reasoning,' 'Behavioral Patterns,' 'Activity Insights,' 'Parent Frustrations/Problems,' and 'Financial Aspects.' Each category has grouped notes discussing key points, such as the importance of simple, clear communication, encouraging direct interaction over screen time, designing adaptable and engaging activities, addressing parent concerns with consistent interventions, and ensuring therapy is accessible to support parents' understanding and implementation
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help the autistic children to communicate better by helping them predict the conversation?

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offer remote guidance to parents of autistic children to navigate through the course of caretaking?

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develop better training tools to help autistic children to communicate?

How might we

To guide the ideation, 3 main how might we questions were formed.

Ideation

Brainstorming board with multiple sticky notes outlining various ideas for activities and tools to help children, especially those with autism, develop communication, social, and emotional skills. Each sticky note contains a different concept, such as 'Building scenarios to simulate real-life experiences,' 'A talking parrot,' '3D filter glasses for predicting others' emotions,' and 'Daily emotion chart with fill-in-the-blank exercises.' Ideas include both interactive tools and games, like a board game to strengthen family bonds and daily challenges to promote independence. Some notes are marked with hearts or stars, potentially indicating priority or favorites.

Constraints

​

Child:

  • Physical

  • Accessible in remote areas

  • Adaptable

  • Playful

  • Fun

​

Parent:

  • Virtual / Physical

  • Accessible in remote areas

  • Adaptable

  • Playful

  • Fun

Putting few constraints to first ideate for the two target audiences separately and then combining the ideas that go well together.

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Constraints were important as the there are two different requirements of the both the target audiences.

Validating ideas through survey

Before finalising the ideas, a survey was conducted to understand what would benefit the target audience. This survey was posted on the various Facebook autism pages. The survey collected 30 responses in total.

57.4% did not have any experienced parent in touch with them.

64.3% said they would like to get tips from a parent who has more experience.

71.4% said they would appreciate having a friend who has an autistic child and is having similar experiences.

65.2% said having a visual/measurable results of skill development will benefit them.

Finalising the idea

The final idea combines three concepts that, after thorough validation, proved to be the most suitable. These ideas address the primary challenges faced by both parents and children.

Decorative image

An app which helps the parent by giving a basic framework with which they can work with their child by adapting and cutomising the solutions

A game / app that provides activities based on your child’s abilities/disabilities and doesn’t let you unlock the next level and activity till he masters that activity
Tangible progress bar

Tinder/bumble like app for parents to meet and plan a play date with their kids

An application that guides parents to conduct activities and play with their child. These activities will be suggested according to the child’s capabilities and weaknesses. These activities will come in various levels and it won’t let you unlock the next one until to master the previous level. The application will also have a space where you can contact parents of other autistic children and learn and provide more information about autism.

Detailing out the idea

Golden circle was used to detail out the idea. Answering why, how and what is my primary step to start developing the idea.

Three-ring diagram explaining the purpose and approach of the Aumigo app, organized by 'Why,' 'How,' and 'What.' The 'Why' section highlights the challenges faced by children with autism and their parents, emphasizing the need for basic life skills like communication and building relationships, which are often hard for children with autism. The 'How' section lists strategies, such as empowering parents and children simultaneously, understanding parental challenges, making solutions accessible, and providing activities that foster bonding and skill-building. The 'What' section describes the app’s aim: a guide and framework for caregivers to access personalized activities inspired by traditional Indian games, helping parents bond with their children while developing essential skills.

Touchpoint 1: Application

User flow

User flow diagram for the Aumigo app, illustrating the journey from starting the app to engaging in activities for child development. The flow begins with a welcome screen, signup options, and basic user information entry, followed by an assessment to determine the child's developmental needs. After viewing results, the main dashboard provides options like accessing the profile, chatting with therapists, connecting with other parents, and exploring skill-based activities. The user can select a skill, view suggested activities, watch demos, and start levels while logging daily progress. The diagram outlines the app’s comprehensive structure for supporting child development and parental engagement.

User flow was mapped to understand the basic content and experience of the application.

Paper wireframes

The first step towards defining the structure of the application was to sketch rough wireframes on paper. This helped me in defining the design language and understand how certain features would look and work. Not all screens were drawn in this manner as I found the software easy to let me try various iterations.

Images of the paper wireframes
Wireframes for the Aumigo app, displaying the user journey from account creation to exploring activities. Screens include a 'Create Account' form, child profile setup, a questionnaire to understand the child's behavior, and an introduction to skill-building categories like social, speech and language, sensory, and cognitive behavior. Additional screens show an 'Explore Activities' page with activity options, a detailed activity page with duration and skill focus, activity levels and badges, and specific objectives for each level. These wireframes outline the app’s structured approach to personalized child development.

Wireframes

Wireframes were created with relevant information present in it. The intention was to create a low fidelity representation of the final concept.

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This aided in user validation process which guided essential changes for the high-fidelity version.

Style guide

Design system and app interface mockup for Aumigo. The left side displays the color palette with shades of teal, gray, yellow, and white (#95DED5, #D6D6D6, #FDD6A0, #F9F9F9), along with typography specifications for headings (18px), subheadings (15px), and body text (12px). Icon samples for home, activities, favorites, and chat are shown, along with button styles in different colors. The app screen on the right shows one of the screens to depict what the feel of the application would be. In the background, a black-and-white photo of a smiling child holding hands with adults representing the users of the application.
Mockup of a Aumigo mobile app interface. Screens display various features: an activity screen with questions for an interactive task, an activity card for 'Hopscotch' with objectives, a progress dashboard showing completed and in-progress activities, and a radar chart visualizing a child's developmental progress. Another screen lists therapists available for chat, showing photos and specializations.

High fidelity screens

To view the entire prototype clock on the play button below.

Screenshot of the "evaluation" screen

Evaluation pages have multiple scenarios which upon filling shows the parent the level of thier child.

Screenshot of the screen showing the evaluation result of the child.

This screen is seen once the parent
complete answering the scenarios.
It shows the parent on what level their
child lies and takes them to activities
or skills page.

Screenshot of the "Explore Activities" Screen

Here the parent sees different activities that will help their child with
developing their weaker skills.
It also lets them search with filters.

Screenshot of the "Home" screen of the application

The home page shows the parent how
many day they have been on the app and your activity status. It also shows them their child's progress by comparing the graph from once they joined and current date.

Screenshot of 'Connect with a super parent" page. Where a parent can see other parents who have enrolled in aumigo and connect with them

This screen shows the parent different
super moms/dads who are going
through the same journey as them
and they can connect with the most
compatible one. This screen also shows them about the other parent's child so they can initiate conversations along those lines as well.

Screenshot of "Chat with a therapist" page.

This screen shows different therapists and lets the parent either directly talk to them or also book an appointment and schedule a conversation.

Touchpoint 2: Activities

Inspiration

Illustration titled 'Indian Traditional Games,' divided into four themes: 'Nostalgia,' showing a person reminiscing while writing in a journal; 'Every parent's wish,' depicting parents holding hands with their child; 'Family time,' showing a family gathered around a table enjoying a game; and 'Passing on the culture,' illustrating a family dressed in traditional attire engaging in a cultural activity with children holding traditional items. Each theme highlights the significance of traditional games in fostering family bonds and cultural heritage.

Activity 1

Hopscotch

  • Learning how to make sentences

  • Learning gestures

  • Communication through play

Level 1
Getting familiar with the game and it's elements

Level 2
Introducing the words and making 2 word sentences

Level 3
Making 3 word sentences + salutations

Level 4
Making 4 word sentences + emotions

Level 5
Making 4 word sentences + emotions + adjectives

Illustration of a hopscotch-style word game with tiles displaying words like 'Welcome,' 'Thank you,' 'Banana,' 'Take,' and 'Give.' Colored paths connect the tiles, showing the sequence of moves. A character is actively playing the game, hopping between tiles with arms raised in excitement
Images of the prototype of the activity

This activity has a print and play version if the parent don't wish to invest in the kits. The activities are also displayed and taught on the application to the parent.

Activity 2

Snakes and Ladders

  • Learning about social interaction

  • Introduction to behaviour, mannerism in social scenarios

  • Learning through play

  • Understanding the concept of wrong / inappropriate

Level 1
Getting familiar with the game and it's elements

Level 2
Follow the numbers according to the dice

Level 3
Introducing the snake and the ladder

Level 4
Giving social scenarios with answers

Level 5
Giving social scenarios without the answers

Illustration of a board game inspired by Snakes and Ladders, with numbered tiles, ladders, and slides. Some tiles have speech bubbles saying 'Scenario will be given,' suggesting prompts or challenges for players landing on these spots. A character stands beside the board, cheering with arms raised, adding a playful and engaging element to the game.
Prototype images of the activity.

This activity has a print and play version if the parent don't wish to invest in the kits. The activities are also displayed and taught on the application to the parent.

Activity 3

Dumb Charades

  • Learning emotions

  • Understanding losing and winning

  • Learning through play

  • Understanding the concept of wrong / inappropriate

Level 1
Getting familiar with the game and it's elements

Level 2
Gussing emotions without cards - dumb charades of emotions

Level 3
Enacting emotions with scenarios

Level 4
Understanding body language and detailed emotions

Level 5
Play react game with them

Digital version of emotion cards featuring emoji-style faces representing different emotions. Each card includes the name of the emotion below the illustration. Examples shown are 'Angry' with a frustrated face, 'Happy' with a smiling face, 'Confused' with a perplexed expression, 'Scared' with a startled face, and 'Sad' with a teary expression.
Prototype images of the emotion cards.

This activity has a print and play version if the parent don't wish to invest in the kits. The activities are also displayed and taught on the application to the parent.

Activity 4

The Card Game

  • Learning emotions

  • Understanding losing and winning

  • Learning through play

  • Understanding the concept of wrong / inappropriate

Level 1
Getting familiar with the game and it's elements

Level 2
Guessing emotions without cards - dumb charades of emotions

Level 3
Enacting emotions with scenarios

Level 4
Understanding body language and detailed emotions

Level 5
Play react game with them

Digital version of emotion cards, each illustrating a different emotion with a corresponding name and image. For example, one card shows 'Surprised' with an illustration of a person reacting to a surprise, while another displays 'Sad' with a person sitting alone. Other cards include emotions like 'Confused,' 'Love,' and 'Scared,' each with a unique illustration.
Prototype images of the emotion cards.

This activity has a print and play version if the parent don't wish to invest in the kits. The activities are also displayed and taught on the application to the parent.

Activity 5

Pick a card

  • Building bonds

  • Understanding teamwork

  • Learning life skills

  • Understanding surroundings and environments

Level 1
Understanding the products required

Level 2
Getting the ingredients ready

Level 3
Make chutney

Level 4
Start putting the sandwich together

Level 5
Serve

Digital version of activity cards, categorized by activity type. Each card displays the name of the activity along with an illustration. For example, one card shows 'Dance' with an illustration of a child dancing while wearing headphones.
Images of the prototypes of the cards.

This activity has a print and play version if the parent don't wish to invest in the kits. The activities are also displayed and taught on the application to the parent.

Identity design

I attempted logo design for the service as well :)

Visual representation of the name 'Aumigo,' which combines the words 'Autism' and 'Amigo' (meaning 'friend' in Spanish)
The line drawing of the logo. The logo is an amalgamation of butterfly, rangoli and infinity sign

The logo was an amalgamation of three different forms. All three forms depicted the traits of neuro-divergency.

Butterfly

Butterfly

Emerging as a new symbol of Autism as it portrays the beauty of diversity and continued development.

Rangoli

Rangoli

A sign of Indian tradition.

My interpretation of the form:

Neuro-typicals follow a set path, whereas neuro-divergents make their own path through their perception of the world.

infinity

Infinity

The symbol of neuro-divergency

Brand style guide for Aumigo, featuring a color palette, logos, fonts, and tagline. The color palette includes four colors: a light teal (#95DED5), light gray (#D6D6D6), pale yellow (#FDD6A0), and white (#F9F9F9). The logo variations show a butterfly icon in teal, yellow, black, and white. Fonts include 'Inter' for body text and 'Poppins' for the logo, with both uppercase and lowercase alphabets displayed. The tagline reads, 'Your new companion in your journey' in light teal.

Brand guidelines

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