Comcast xLife
Comcast’s Advanced Product Group (APG) is working to develop an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) device that would empower caregivers to monitor aging in-place care recipients.
When
2018 - 2019
Employer
Comcast
Role
Product Design Lead
The Opportunity
With the evolution and adoption of smart home IOT devices, Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) devices are well positioned to grow with this consumer market. Comcast is in a unique opportunity to benefit from this trend as they already offer complimentary services with the home security system (xFinity Home). Our challenge with xLife was to create an aging in-place AAL device and service that resonated with caregiver and care recipient needs. In addition to the physical device with all its sensors, we also needed to create a mobile app for the caregivers and simple TV app for care recipients. But without a doubt, our biggest challenge was creating meaningful features and interpretations of all the device sensor data.
Team & Role
I was responsible for the xLife TV and mobile app experiences. Working with a product manager and an illustrator, I crafted user flows, mockups, interactive prototypes and conceived features based on data provided to me by Comcast’s research team. Although the physical xLife device was designed and developed by a separate team, the product manager and I worked with the device team to ensure feature feasibility.
Design Process
Research
A focus group is carefully planned to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment. During this focus group, we brought out spontaneous reactions and ideas, better understood opinions and tested our assumptions of the target audience.
Caregivers
Typically a younger (technology adept) family member or assigned caregiver. Responsible for the well being of the care recipient, this individual or individuals would benefit from xLife’s product offering through passive monitoring and routine tracking of their care recipient.
Family or loved one who is the main caregiver
Wants to check in regularly, but is too busy during week or lives too far away
Does not want to hire a regular caretaker or move their loved one out of their home
Care Recipients
Typically an older (technology inept) individual who lives independently outside of their caregiver. This individual would benefit from an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) device to ensure peace of mind in case of emergencies and track potential cognitive decline.
Independent, Single Seniors, aged 65-80
Lives on their own home or apartment, rather than in group quarters
Aging in place - would like to stay in their home for as long as possible
User Mind Maps
User Feature Preferences
Brainstorm
After establishing the key areas of focus from user research, I worked with the product director and a product manager to brainstorm features and feasibility. We then sketched out user flows based on technical limitations factoring in the already designed xLife sensor and Comcast’s existing infrastructure.
White Boarding User Flows
Wireframe
Once I had well defined expectations from all project stakeholders, I set out to refine both the caregiver and care recipient experiences through flow diagrams and wireframes.
Product Flow Diagram
Wellness Protocol Diagram
On-Boarding Experience
Design
With PM and developer sign off, I brought the interface to life with higher fidelity mockups meticulously following Comcast’s new design framework.
Caregiver Experience
Care Recipient Experience
Handoff
After finalizing the mobile and tv interfaces, I created an information architecture document that outlined all user flows and noted edge case behaviors. Once the IA document was complete I uploaded my work to Zeplin and worked with the product manager to create Jira tickets.
