Research,
Concept + Identity
Concept + Identity
AI Virtual Assistant
Methods
Literature Review
Primary Research
Surveys
Interviews
Pitching ideas
Carpe Diem, an AI Virtual Assistant is the designed solution that materialized from a thesis topic exploration titled, "Investigating the Practices of Neurodivergent Female Designers: A Design Research Study".
The catalyst of this study was the discovery that a significant number of female designers in a graduate cohort were diagnosed with ADHD within the past year of this study. The challenges of being a high-achieving woman designer in higher education have led to many late diagnoses of ADHD in adulthood.
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ADHD Presents itself differently in girls.
(Hyperactivity is internalized)
(Hyperactivity is internalized)
Research
Value of Women with ADHD: Unique perspectives, Unconventional
thinking, Ability to work well under Pressure, Curiosity, Sensitivity, Persistence, ability to do hard things
thinking, Ability to work well under Pressure, Curiosity, Sensitivity, Persistence, ability to do hard things
Virtual Assistants in Media
The virtual assistant in media meaning: movies, shows, games, is typically this all knowing character, they support the main character by being tech savvy sometime by hacking, and obtaining information and just overall aiding to ensure success of the mission.
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This example is Cortana from Halo, Cortana is portrayed as a hologram artificial intelligence that helps Master Chief complete his mission in the story, but also helps players navigate through the game.
Barbie Secret Agent, is a game I played when I was a kid, I remember Becky, Barbie’s friend, assisted her in the storyline of the game by giving direction. Becky also assisted the player when they became distracted, lost or forgot the current objective.
Ned to Peter “Hey, Can I be your guy in chair?” “You know how there’s a guy, with a headset, telling the other guy where to go?... Like I could tell you where to go because there will be screens around me”
Body Doubling
The characters reminded me of body doubling which is a strategy used in the ADHD community. Body doubling is a tool some adults use to help them start and complete projects. Sometimes referred to as an accountability partner, it is a technique for better productivity. A body double is a friend or partner who works simultaneously, either in the same room or even virtually.
Design Artifact
Body doubling is a great tool for Women Designer’s with ADHD, however sometimes we aren’t always able to work with others. This is where Artificial Intelligence comes in.
Introducing Carpe Diem, an AI Powered Virtual Assistant. It is a widget installed on a computer that syncs with a smartphone. It will reduce potential distractions while supporting the user to complete long term tasks while maintaining a healthy work environment and life.
AI Powered
Carpe Diem is an all in one virtual assistant powered by AI. It is specifically designed to assist female designers with ADHD. Assisting with completing deadlines, helping users focus, and reminding them to take care of themselves, and keeping track of progress and due dates.
Breakdown
The images above show an overview of the desktop/mobile widget aspect of the app.
The components of this widget are based on my primary research, Research suggests that users need assistance in staying organized and keeping on task.
Carpe Diem tracks your progress throughout the day. It prompts the users to take care of themselves, shown through a water intake tracker, and a medication reminder. Along with progress rings that connect to the Task list and daily Outline.
On the right there is a is a positive greeting to the user. Below they can toggle between different modes of the app. Potentially, the users could customize their modes; such as work mode, and writing mode. Both actions require different levels of concentration. There is also a focus timer that utilizes the pomodoro method. It shows how long the user has been working for, and a countdown until the next break.
The task list shows the user what they need to work on. They can toggle between the tasks and the outline for each task will populate in the Outline section, this works as a checklist. Users can click the + sign to add their own items to the list, or they can ask the virtual assistant to look over creative briefs as well.
Below the top section is the calendar. Users can switch between a daily, weekly and monthly view of their schedule. The AI assists with planning, and helps with overestimating project timelines to aid the user’s time blindness and management.
In the note taking section, users can braindump thoughts, or activate the AI and use it as a personal secretary. It will record audio, transcribe and create meeting notes for the users to reference later. They can also chat with the virtual assistant, asking questions, giving tasks, or utilizing as a source of accountability.
Ideally, there would be more options and more widgets to be added to the sidebar.
Feedback
The app was shown to participants from unstructured interviews. They were asked if they would use the app, and to explain:
Participant A, felt that the app could be extremely helpful. They said having one app/interface to place everything in their day would be great, especially if it synced with their computer.
Participant B, on the other hand, does not think they would use the app. They went on to describe that they work best under the pressure of others and not under their own. They conclude that they feel that apps do not work for them.
Participant C, said they would use the app. They believed it would benefit them in other aspects of life, not just design-related work. They reflect that they often forget about personal and professional deadlines.
Conclusion
Carpe Diem supports female designers with ADHD to reach their full potential by simulating a virtual assistant
Future Directions
I plan to further investigate ways to support neurodivergent female designers to reach their full potential. To look into the possible capabilities of utilizing AI to assist ADHD brains in all parts of life.