HippoCare
Empower Alzheimer's caregivers with practical and emotional support
HippoCare
Empower Alzheimer's caregivers with practical and emotional support
Product Overview
Product Overview
Are you caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's?
HippoCare brings essential support into one intuitive platform—coordinating care tasks among family, connecting you with others who understand your journey, providing expert guidance when needed, and ensuring your loved one's safety.
Named after the hippocampus—the brain's memory center—our app honors the profound connection between memory and compassionate care, helping preserve dignity and connection for those affected by memory loss.
HippoCare: Walking beside you on the caregiving journey.
Are you caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's?
HippoCare brings essential support into one intuitive platform—coordinating care tasks among family, connecting you with others who understand your journey, providing expert guidance when needed, and ensuring your loved one's safety.
Named after the hippocampus—the brain's memory center—our app honors the profound connection between memory and compassionate care, helping preserve dignity and connection for those affected by memory loss.
HippoCare: Walking beside you on the caregiving journey.
Duration: Jan-Apr 2025
Role: UX/UI Designer
Tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Figjam, Miro, Procreate
Method: Fragile UX Design
Team: Xinyi Ding, Alina Mao, Yue Si, Yiran Ding (Team Project for 515A Advanced UX Studio)
Duration: Jan-Apr 2025
Role: UX/UI Designer
Tools: Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Figjam, Miro, Procreate
Team: Xinyi Ding, Alina Mao, Yue Si, Yiran Ding (Team Project for 515A Advanced UX Studio)
Project Overview
Project Overview
Two members of our team know the heartache of Alzheimer's firsthand—their grandparents struggle with the disease daily. Their stories sparked our mission to make a difference.
In the United States alone, more than 11 million family members provide 16 billion hours of unpaid care annually.
Behind every patient…
is an exhausted caregiver coordinating medical appointments, managing medications, and grieving the gradual loss of their loved one.
1st Week: Empathize
6-7th Week: Low-fi
Worldwide, 55 million people are living with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
(Alzheimer's Association)
8-10th Week: Hi-fi
Throughout our design evolution—from wireframes to polished prototypes—we embraced a rhythm of constant improvement.
Weekly user testing sessions provided valuable insights, while expert guidance from Jason Levine and detailed critiques from Aishwarya Navale of Amazon Web Services shaped our decisions. Rather than treating feedback as a final checkpoint, we wove iteration into our daily practice, refining and enhancing with each new perspective.
Here are the pivotal optimizations that transformed our design:
5-10th Week: Testing & Iterations
When users open HippoCare for the first time, they're greeted not by cold forms, but by a warm AI companion who understands the emotional weight they carry. Through conversational prompts that feel more like a supportive chat, users share only what they're comfortable with, when they're ready.
This thoughtful onboarding reflects our core philosophy: that technology should reduce burden, not add to it—especially for those already carrying so much.
The Home screen transforms caregiving from overwhelming to manageable with thoughtfully auto-generated tasks already organized by priority level using a color system. Below, a personalized library of blogs awaits, curated specifically for their loved one's current Alzheimer's stage. This intelligent hub evolves alongside the caregiver's journey, offering both practical tools and timely wisdom when they're needed most.
The Community screen creates meaningful connections between caregivers walking similar paths. Users can browse posts across 10 specialized topics tailored to caregiving challenges.
When searching for specific concerns, Hippi provides concise summaries of collective wisdom. Beyond passive browsing, caregivers can form personal connections through direct messaging, creating a network of support that's available whenever the burden feels too heavy to carry alone.
The floating Hippi icon provides instant support wherever caregivers are in the app. With a simple tap, users access a conversational assistant that offers pre-populated questions based on common challenges and personalized to their situation. What makes this AI truly valuable is its foundation in collective wisdom, synthesizing insights from thousands of real caregiver experiences shared within the community.
Create a task
Edit a task & Use filters
Read blogs & Use filters
How We Solved Problems
Flow#1 Sign Up Flow
A Helping Hand from Very First Hello
Flow#2 Homepage Flow (Tasks & Blogs)
Everything You Need, Right Where You Need It
Flow#3 Community Flow
A Circle of Understanding When You Feel Alone
Flow#4 AI Agent Flow
A Knowledgeable Friend Available Day or Night
AI-Powered Search Experience
Hippi AI provides instant summaries of collective caregiver experiences
Our initial instinct was to create memory tools for patients. But we soon realized creating another memory exercise app would barely impact this complex neurological condition.
design for patients ➡️ design for caregivers
This revelation shifted our entire approach. HippoCare would become a companion for those providing care—a digital hand to hold through one of life's most challenging journeys.
By shifting our focus,
we designed not just for usability,
but for relief.
Two members of our team know the heartache of Alzheimer's firsthand—their grandparents struggle with the disease daily. Their stories sparked our mission to make a difference.
In the United States alone, more than 11 million family members provide 16 billion hours of unpaid care annually.
Behind every patient…
is an exhausted caregiver coordinating medical appointments, managing medications, and grieving the gradual loss of their loved one.
Worldwide, 55 million people are living with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
(Alzheimer's Association)
1st Week: Empathize
Our initial instinct was to create memory tools for patients. But we soon realized creating another memory exercise app would barely impact this complex neurological condition.
design for patients ➡️ design for caregivers
This revelation shifted our entire approach. HippoCare would become a companion for those providing care—a digital hand to hold through one of life's most challenging journeys.
By shifting our focus,
we designed not just for usability,
but for relief.
Persona
User Journey Map
2nd-3rd Week: Research & Define
With our research foundation firmly established, we entered Week 4 ready to transform insights into solutions.
During our feature brainstorming and voting session, team members placed themselves in Mary and Michael's shoes—imagining what would truly make a difference in their caregiving journeys. Ideas flowed freely as we considered both practical needs and emotional support.
Top voted features
Homepage- Task Reminder
Community - posts, local support group
Location tracker
Shared account
Other features
Stage-related resources
Smart home devices
Mindfulness notification(day starter)
MD visits log
Photo gallery
Nutrition recommendation
These blueprints then came to life through storyboards depicting real-world scenarios.
4th Week: Ideate
Feature Brainstorming & Voting
Storyboarding
Information Architecture
5th Week: Wireframing
2nd-3rd Week: Research & Define
Persona
User Journey Map
4th Week: Ideate
Feature Brainstorming & Voting
Top voted features
Homepage- Task Reminder
Community - posts, local support group
Location tracker
Shared account
Other features
Stage-related resources
Smart home devices
Mindfulness notification(day starter)
MD visits log
Photo gallery
Nutrition recommendation
With our research foundation firmly established, we entered Week 4 ready to transform insights into solutions.
During our feature brainstorming and voting session, team members placed themselves in Mary and Michael's shoes—imagining what would truly make a difference in their caregiving journeys. Ideas flowed freely as we considered both practical needs and emotional support.
Information Architecture
Storyboarding
These blueprints then came to life through storyboards depicting real-world scenarios.
5th Week: Wireframing
6-7th Week: Low-fi
8-10th Week: Hi-fi
How We Solved Problems
Flow#1 Sign Up Flow
A Helping Hand from Very First Hello
The Home screen transforms caregiving from overwhelming to manageable with thoughtfully auto-generated tasks already organized by priority level using a color system. Below, a personalized library of blogs awaits, curated specifically for their loved one's current Alzheimer's stage. This intelligent hub evolves alongside the caregiver's journey, offering both practical tools and timely wisdom when they're needed most.
The Community screen creates meaningful connections between caregivers walking similar paths. Users can browse posts across 10 specialized topics tailored to caregiving challenges.
When searching for specific concerns, Hippi provides concise summaries of collective wisdom. Beyond passive browsing, caregivers can form personal connections through direct messaging, creating a network of support that's available whenever the burden feels too heavy to carry alone.
The floating Hippi icon provides instant support wherever caregivers are in the app. With a simple tap, users access a conversational assistant that offers pre-populated questions based on common challenges and personalized to their situation. What makes this AI truly valuable is its foundation in collective wisdom, synthesizing insights from thousands of real caregiver experiences shared within the community.
Create a task
Edit a task & Use filters
AI-Powered Search Experience
Hippi AI provides instant summaries of collective caregiver experiences
Read blogs & Use filters
When users open HippoCare for the first time, they're greeted not by cold forms, but by a warm AI companion who understands the emotional weight they carry. Through conversational prompts that feel more like a supportive chat, users share only what they're comfortable with, when they're ready.
This thoughtful onboarding reflects our core philosophy: that technology should reduce burden, not add to it—especially for those already carrying so much.
Everything You Need, Right Where You Need It
A Circle of Understanding When You Feel Alone
A Knowledgeable Friend Available Day or Night
Flow#2 Homepage Flow (Tasks & Blogs)
Flow#3 Community Flow
Flow#4 AI Agent Flow
5-10th Week: Testing & Iterations
Throughout our design evolution—from wireframes to polished prototypes—we embraced a rhythm of constant improvement.
Weekly user testing sessions provided valuable insights, while expert guidance from Jason Levine and detailed critiques from Aishwarya Navale of Amazon Web Services shaped our decisions. Rather than treating feedback as a final checkpoint, we wove iteration into our daily practice, refining and enhancing with each new perspective.
Here are the pivotal optimizations that transformed our design:
Final Solution
Click here to explore our final prototype for HippoCare!
Final Solution
Click here to explore our final prototype!
Key Learnings
Key Learnings
The Power of Subtraction
The Power of Subtraction
I learned that simplicity isn't just about fewer steps—it's about fewer decisions caregivers make when already overwhelmed. Through usability testing with Jason and Aishwarya from Amazon, we consistently refined by removing. We consolidated features, integrated resources into the home page, and streamlined navigation. Each subtraction recognized that for caregivers, cognitive load isn't just a UX principle—it's the difference between adoption and abandonment.
One of the key challenges was ensuring users would continue to engage with the app even after solving immediate decision-making needs. By introducing features like the fishbone reward system and gamified customization options, I created mechanisms that not only keep users coming back but also provide a sense of accomplishment and progress. This taught me the importance of designing for user retention, thinking beyond the product’s core functionality to create lasting value.
AI as a Compassionate Companion
AI as a Compassionate Companion
Our floating AI assistant evolved into a cornerstone of the experience. By making help available throughout the app and training it on community discussions, we created an assistant that grows more valuable over time. The AI search functionality that summarizes relevant content became a lifeline for caregivers seeking quick answers without wading through dozens of threads. AI implementation should feel less like technology and more like a thoughtful friend.
When designing the community voting interface, I studied and analyzed platforms like Reddit, Xiaohongshu(RED), Douban, and Instagram. By evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, I was able to incorporate the best elements while addressing their limitations, resulting in a more engaging and tailored experience.
More Than Another To-Do List
More Than Another To-Do List
The most profound lesson was that caregiving tools must never feel like another job. We crafted warm copy instead of clinical language, implemented smart automation that anticipated needs, and designed recommendations that felt like helpful suggestions instead of demands. Technology for vulnerable moments must embody empathy in every pixel—transforming utility into companionship through design choices that acknowledge the human behind every interaction.
A major takeaway was the importance of being open-minded and explorative during the ideation phase. I pushed myself to generate a wide range of solutions, from simple to highly ambitious, without prematurely judging their feasibility. This helped me approach problems creatively, ensuring I explored diverse possibilities before narrowing down to the most practical and impactful solutions. It reinforced the value of curiosity and adaptability in the design process.
Meet Our Team 😊
Meet Our Team 😊
From left to right:
Yiran, Xinyi(me), Yue, Jason(instructor), Alina
Mar.19 2025
📍Communication Building,
University of Washington
