ICare

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
I think the biggest difficulty we encountered with UX during the project was how to empathise with people living with HIV and those who are afraid of HIV testing, and how to effectively alleviate their real inner fears was also a big challenge. We did a lot of research and role-playing to recreate as much as possible the emotional turmoil that people feel before taking an HIV test, and to enhance the experience of the HIV self-test at every touch point.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
The animated tutorial design was a highlight, a key ‘Aha!’ moment. Traditional HIV self-test kits have problems such as cumbersome processes. This feedback inspired us to develop animated tutorials that simplify the process and make it more fun and intuitive. The success of this feature further confirms the importance of user-centred design. In the early stages of development, we faced the challenge of balancing the technical complexity of AI emotional therapy with a smooth user experience. the AI emotional companion feature involves complex emotion recognition technology, and we needed to make sure that it could be naturally integrated into the app without interfering with the user experience.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
Over the next five years, we aim to evolve ICare into a globally recognized support system for AIDS patients. We will enhance our AI models for hyper-personalized support, reducing anxiety and providing comfort. By partnering with healthcare institutions and NGOs, we will expand ICare's reach and capabilities, offering intuitive self-testing instructions and instant counseling. Our goal is to make ICare an essential resource for those facing AIDS-related challenges, improving usability and effectiveness through continuous innovation and user feedback. We envision a more empathetic society, where ICare plays a pivotal role in transforming lives and alleviating the emotional burden of AIDS.