Jij en Ik (You and I)

Jij en Ik (You and I) is a system that allows people with an intellectual disability to connect with their caretakers. The system consists of an Android Smartwatch application and an Android Smartphone application which allows caretakers and their clients to communicate in an audio-visual way using their voice, images and haptic feedback. Developing this system was part of my Creative Technology bachelor thesis.

The system was designed using a user-central design method: the user has always been in mind from the beginning of the project, until the end. At the start of the project a need assessment was performed to discover what the needs are of people with an intellectual disability and their caretakers. I discovered that there was a clear need for better communication and to provide better personal care.

The system fulfills these needs by providing an easy way of telecommunication between people with an intellectual disability and their caretakers. This also allows caretakers to communicate on a more personal level and thus allows them to improve the provision of personal care.

During the project I did a theoretical and a field research about the needs of people with an ID and their caretakers. I then developed both Android applications: an Android Wear app and an Android mobile app. I designed the prototype interfaces and made sure communication between the I used Google Firebase for communication between the apps, allowing for messages and files to be sent. The resulting prototypes were then tested and evaluated.

If you would like to read more about my research, feel free to download my thesis here.