LIVIA
Empowering your Heart's Health
Livia is a device that monitors a user's vital signs and shares the information with family members and doctors to ensure the user stays in good health.
Team: Asad Khan, Jiawei Lu, Tony Zhang
Primary Role: UX Research, UX Design, Prototyping, Electronics
Project Type: Industrial Design, Medical Tech
April 2023
Problems faced by people with Coronary Heart Diseases
This project emerged from a shared connection among the three of us: all of our families have been affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD). This common experience led us to explore how design might help alleviate some of the challenges faced by our loved ones, especially considering the significant lifestyle changes that often follow surgery.
As the leading cause of death in the United States, coronary heart disease affects millions of people each year. Approximately 50,000 open-heart surgeries are performed annually, many of which involve complex and demanding procedures.
Key Takeaways
Following cardiovascular surgery, many individuals experience drastic lifestyle changes and often require daily support from a family member. For those without a caregiver, or whose family members are uninformed about their health, a smart assistant can play a crucial role in managing recovery activities and maintaining communication with loved ones.
Our Mission was clear:
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Help cardiovasuclar disease patients failitate a better recovery journey after surgery.
Ideation and Prototyping
Major cardiovascular incidents predominantly affect individuals who are 65 years old or older. Recognizing that our users have a preference for physical presence within their homes, we aim to develop a solutipn that fosters an emotional connectiion with patients during their most vulnerable mements.
Form Iterations​
We designed a home assistant that interacts with our users through both its physical presence and an integrated digital interface.
Systems Mapping
We designed a device that mapped to a post CVD patient's daily schedule by working with them.
We observed that surgery dramatically alters a persons life and observed the numerous limitations they face post-surgery. From this understanding, we conceived LIVIA as not just a companion but also a facilitator for their daily life.
A key feature of LIVIA is its capability to integrate with other intelligent devices. Our first MVP includes a smart ECG monitor designed to work in conjunction with LIVIA for everydat monitoring.
Refined User Journey
The depicted user experience illustrates how LIVIA serves as a bridge between patients and their loved ones, enabling meaningful connection even when they are physically distant but deeply care. Additionally, LIVIA is designed to seamlessly integrate with other smart devices, creating a supportive and connected recovery ecosystem.
Final Product
More Iterations and Redesign
Based on several rounds of critics and further talking to potential users, we made several design changes on the interface.
Since our users primarily were between the ages of 45 and 75, many experienced difficulty recognizing small on-screen content. In response, we updated the interface with larger fonts and more distinct color contrasts to ensure it is easier to read and more accessible for users with these conditions.
LIVIA Device
The final step was to build a functional prototype. It consisted of a Raspberry Pi mini connected to a 2.8-inch circular display, LED strip lights, a servo motor for actuation, and ultrasonic sensors to detect the patient’s proximity.
ECG Patch
To test the device pairing function, we also built an ECG patch to monitor a persons pulse and transmit information realtime.
