Problem to be solved:
This was a family project for a working divorced parent in New York, who had two teen sons diagnosed with ADHD, who were struggling with hybrid schooling during the pre-vaccine days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This busy mom was sleep-deprived, stressed out, and working hard to keep a social services nonprofit afloat. While working from home, she scrambled each morning and evening to make sure her sons got sufficient food, sleep, homework time, exercise and play time. She also wanted to instill a sense of responsibility in her kids for helping out with feeding and walking the dog, and doing small weekly chores around the house, but the consistency needed to build those habits was elusive. She got up extra early to make sure the boys were up, medicated, dressed and ready in time for school each day, but struggled to remember to check that they'd finished their homework, or that they'd put their phones away when when it was time for bed. It was no easy feat, when she was sleep-deprived herself, often falling asleep on the couch while the boys played video games or scrolled on their phones past their bed times. Both mom and kids were sleep-deprived, caught in a viscious cycle, and the boys were in danger of failing most of the their classes and having to repeat a grade.
Research, prototype testing and iteration:
1:1 interviews with mom and each child, to determine mom’s needs and desires, and then challenges, feelings and key motivators for each of the boys. After 1:1 interviews were complete, research, testing and iteration proceeded in group interviews with the family.
Solution:
Time Wheel, magnetic whiteboards for morning and evening routines that the boys designed with me and wrote out themselves, and a point system for household chores that allowed them to level up for rewards.
