Hi there! I’m Caoimhe, a UI & UX designer with a love for all things digital design! Alongside creating and building beautiful things, I have a deep interest for the research part of designing and creating meaningful design experiences for all! Over the last few years studying Interaction Design, I have learned so much and my confidence in design has grown greatly. I am excited to grow as a designer and continue creating!
In my free time I love taking pictures while exploring with friends and making as many memories as possible!
Most of us have no struggles when it comes to moving around the house or even being in the home alone. However, there is a majority of people who struggle daily and want to be more independent in the home. Many older people face issues such as reduced mobility, cognitive decline, and medical conditions that can compromise their safety and well-being at home. As our population ages, an increasing number of older individuals express a desire to maintain their independence, with 75% of people expressing how they want to continue living in their own homes for as long as possible. Around 80% of older people want to use technology and smart tech to help them at home every day and make their lives easier but just don’t know enough about it or where to even start. By 2050 65+ year olds will grow to 1.5 billion - UN International Telecommunication Union.
Older people who have health problems face daily issues in the home therefore hindering their independence and comfort in the place where they should feel it the most. This can effect their feelings of safety and peace at home. Liv is a smart home system designed to grow with the you. Liv is a service that helps people be independent in their home again. We envision a future where homes seamlessly adapt to the needs of their occupants, providing a perfect blend of technology and care. Our smart home device is designed to revolutionise the way individuals experience home aid, offering unparalleled assistance, security, and comfort with our future-ready technology. Liv aims to tackle some of the biggest problems that people struggle with when it comes to living at home; home, health, security and family needs.
I was able to begin research by using advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to find out information and interview ‘people’ living in 2050, to see what the world could look like then when it comes to the advancement of smart homes. After this future research, I was able to narrow down and talk with real people who have struggles in the home today. I focused on older people as I think this system would benefit them the most. From this, I was able to gather real life research about users' needs and wants from a service like this that they could use now and not just in the future. Taking both sides of this research I was able to really push ideas to build something that could still be built and used today.
I used Perplexity to interview people from the future and obtain research about the future of smart living. Notion is were I recorded all of this research and the overall development of this project. There I analysied my own work and thoughts of how I could solve the challenges I was facing and how to push this project. For user testing I used Figma prototype as well as Maze, I also made use of Figjam capabilities for research too, there I created multiple research boards. I used Figma continuously throughout this project, creating interactive wireframes, elements and building the final prototype over multiple devices.
This project started off with a very forward-thinking, futuristic smart home ideal. From thinking very big at the beginning I did find a challenge of transitioning to something I could actually design for and show screens for. I was struggling with how to show the whole ecosystem of the home. I wanted to be able to show how the home comes ‘alive’ when the user interacts with different products in different rooms. After deliberations, I discovered that I could actually show how this system would work over a few digital products so I decided to spread out my screens over a couple other devices to really show how this can be a full house service - through the iPad, smart watch and TV.
The user experience I've designed focuses on an older individual with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), illustrating how the system can improve their quality of life. As MS is a progressive condition, I selected this user profile to demonstrate the system's ability to adapt to changing habits and routines, showcasing its full potential. The capabilities of "Liv," our system, are designed to maximize assistance for users, particularly those like our MS patient, by learning and evolving with their needs. Every person deserves to live independently and joyfully, regardless of age or any physical or cognitive challenges they might face. Liv is engineered to restore a sense of joy, safety, and autonomy for a diverse group of individuals.
Liv is an innovative smart home system that allows users to be connected through their home across multiple devices. Monitoring their home, health and wellbeing and their safety. This system allows users to be connected to their home and themselves, giving them control and comfort in their everyday lives. A system like not only supports the homeowner but their family, giving them a sense of ease that their loved one is safe and happy at home. Liv is the way of the future and elevating smart homes, the technology learns users habits and routines and adjusts accordingly to preferences; a home that really does know you best.
Liv has the potential to help many people stay in their homes where they have made a lifetime of memories for as long as possible, helping them feel more confident and independent, everyday.