Project Overview
Objective:
The “SocialConnect” app aims to empower autistic children and teenagers aged 8-18 by providing tools and resources to improve social skills, navigate challenges, and foster community engagement in a secure and supportive digital environment. This project holds personal significance to me due to its profound purpose.
Target Audience:
Autistic individuals who benefit from structured support in social interaction, emotional regulation, and accessing educational content tailored to their needs.
Design Tool:
For design, I willbe using Uizard over traditional tools like Figma to stay updated with AI advancements.
User Research:
Key Findings:
- Visual aids, as demonstrated in apps like “Proloquo2Go,” significantly enhance communication for individuals with autism.
- Parents stress the importance of tools like “Model Me Going Places,” highlighting how social stories help their children learn through real-life examples in everyday situations.
- Autistic individuals prefer gamified learning, enjoying games like “Feelings in a Flash”.
- Parents of autistic children are concerned about their online safety due to their vulnerability and challenges with social cues and communication.
Competitive Analysis
Inspiring Apps:
- “Proloquo2Go”: Offers customizable AAC tools with visual symbols and voice output.
- “Model Me Going Places”: Uses visual storytelling to teach social skills and behaviors.
- “Autism Village”: Community-based platform connecting autistic individuals.
Opportunities for Innovation
- Gamified Learning Modules: Integrate interactive games that simulate real-life social scenarios to enhance users’ social understanding and interaction skills.
- Real-Time Support Features: Implementation of real-time support features, including AI-guided chats and peer support forums, to provide immediate assistance and foster community engagement.
- Community Discussion Groups: Establish groups to facilitate meaningful discussions and mutual support among community members on various challenges and interests.
- Promotion of Real-Life Connections: Provide information and encourage participation in local events to foster hands-on learning and face-to-face interactions, promoting meaningful real-life connections.
- Identity Verification and Two-Factor Authentication: Utilize school-provided verification codes to verify children’s identities and implement two-factor authentication for heightened platform security.
- Parental Monitoring and Alerts: Deliver regular activity reports to parents summarizing their child’s progress. Enable immediate alerts for flagged activities or concerning behaviors.
- Enhanced Accessibility Features: Integrate a range of accessibility options such as customizable interfaces, text-to-speech, and color contrast adjustments to accommodate diverse learning needs and ensure inclusive participation on the platform.
Prototype
Usability Test Insights:
- Social Interaction Concerns: Despite verification and authentication, parents remain concerned about their children’s social interactions on the platform.
- Parental Interface Curiosity: Parents express curiosity about the design of their interaction interface, which has not been developed yet.
- Motivation and Reward Doubts: There are doubts about how and why children would be motivated to engage in learning lessons without tangible rewards.
- Game Feature Expectations: Users find the game feature interesting but seek more details on its design, questioning whether it will strike a balance between fun and educational value.
- Desire for Schedule Maintenance Tools: Parents desire scheduling tools or similar features to help organize their children’s activities effectively on the platform.
Date: 2024