Never Forgotten
SMART HOME SUPPORT FOR DEMENTIA CARE
FULL DESIGN CYCLE
UX DESIGN
CONTEXT
A smart home app supporting dementia care and independence.
Never Forgotten is a smart home app designed to support caregivers and promote independence for early to mid-stage dementia patients. Through features like reminders, appliance monitoring, and health check-ins, the app creates a safer, more connected environment. Inspired by speculative design, it imagines a future where smart home technology seamlessly supports daily care.
Duration
Fall 2021
10 weeks
My Role
UX Research
UX Design
Artist/Branding
Tools
Figjam
Figma
Google Docs
Team
3 Designers
PROBLEM
The issue is that caregivers and dementia patients face the challenge of finding a balance between autonomy and safety.
In a world where smart home technology is omnipresent yet not fully harnessed to address this growing need, we're employing speculative design to craft solutions that not only meet current needs but also anticipate and innovate for the smart homes of tomorrow.
SOLUTION
Never Forgotten assist caregivers in managing daily tasks and ensuring the well-being of dementia patients.
We designed a speculative smart home app that supports early to mid-stage dementia patients in maintaining independence. The app provides caregivers with tools like remote reminders, appliance monitoring, and health check-ins to ensure safety and peace of mind. By imagining a future where smart home technology is seamlessly integrated, our solution bridges autonomy and care in a dignified, tech-forward way.
USER INTERVIEW
Learning from lived experiences of dementia care.
We interviewed 6 caregivers — including family members and friends — to better understand the everyday experiences of people living with dementia. We wanted to learn not just about their routines and challenges, but also how caregivers step in to provide support, maintain safety, and preserve their loved ones' sense of independence.
Some questions we asked:
• Can you walk me through a typical day caring for your loved one?
• Are there moments when your loved one struggles to remember important things? What are those situations like?
• How do you currently help them remember tasks, appointments, or routines?
MAIN INSIGHTS
Caregiving is a constant balancing act – between independence, safety, and peace of mind.
01
Routine and reminders play a crucial role in daily life
Establishing structure through routines and reminders helps dementia patients feel more confident and independent in managing their day.
02
Dementia patients want to maintain independence but struggle with daily tasks
Even in the early stages, many patients find it difficult to complete everyday tasks on their own, often leading to frustration or feelings of helplessness.
03
Forgetfulness creates emotional frustration
Forgetting important things like appointments, conversations, or routines. It often leads to stress, embarrassment, or frustration for patients.
04
Caregivers face mental load and burnout
Caregivers are constantly balancing multiple responsibilities, leading to stress and feeling overwhelmed — especially when they're the primary source of reminders and monitoring.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
There are no apps that are designed to help people with dementia retain their sense of independence.
We learned that these products all help people with dementia with daily tasks or stimulate the brain, but they are lacking an integration of all of the features together and comprehensive reminder functionalities for our user base.
Mindmate
Caring Village
Medisafe
USER PERSONA
Who we're designing for.
Sharice – Family Caretaker
Goals
→ Help her mom stay independent as long as possible
→ Keep her mom safe while juggling her own busy life
Frustrations
→ Constantly worrying about small things like appliances or missed medications
→ Feeling overwhelmed by being the only reminder system
→ Not always being physically present to help
Carol – Dementia Patient
Goals
→ Maintain independence in her daily routine
→ Feel in control without relying too much on others
Frustrations
→ Forgetting small tasks like turning off appliances
→ Feeling embarrassed or frustrated when forgetful
→ Not wanting to feel like a burden
USER JOURNEY
Moments that matter most.
Using our user personas, we mapped out Sharice’s caregiving journey to uncover pain points and opportunities for supporting dementia care and independence.
OPPORTUNITY
How might we empower people with dementia to manage their daily routines independently?
IDEATING SOLUTIONS
Designing with care in mind.
We brainstormed ideas by creating storyboards that explored how our users might interact with the app and how it could support people with dementia in their daily lives. From these storyboards, we identified key features to include and grouped them into categories. This process helped us shape our final solution: a smart home app designed to promote independence and provide peace of mind for both patients and caregivers.
FEATURE PRIORITIZATION
From brainstorming to final solution.
After brainstorming different ideas, we focused on features that directly addressed the challenges and needs uncovered in our user research. We asked ourselves: “What would genuinely help dementia patients feel more independent — while reducing the stress and mental load for caregivers?” Through this process, we categorized our ideas based on impact, feasibility, and relevance to user pain points.
ITERATIONS
A/B Testing to inform design decisions.
To validate our design decisions and ensure our solution was intuitive for both dementia patients and caregivers, we conducted A/B testing on two key interfaces: the Home Dashboard and Appliance Monitoring screens. We tested two design variations for each and gathered feedback on clarity, visual hierarchy, and ease of interaction.
DESIGN A
DESIGN B
Users preferred design A because of the visual clarity of icons alongside text, which helped with quick scanning and memory recall. The visual separation of shortcut controls also felt more organized.
DESIGN A
DESIGN B
Users found the color-coded device cards in Design A easier to distinguish and more intuitive for toggling controls. Design B felt too technical and lacked immediate clarity.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
Designing a Smart Home App for Dementia Care
REFLECTION
Lessons learned along the way.
01
Designing with empathy
One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of truly understanding the user. Designing for caregivers and dementia patients challenged me to think beyond functionality — it required empathy, patience, and a deeper awareness of their emotional and practical needs.
02
Invest More Time in the Problem Space
Working at the intersection of technology and elderly care made me realize that technology isn’t always the automatic solution. With more research and exploration, we could better uncover what types of interventions — tech or non-tech — actually fit into users' lives.
03
Every design decision has an impact
This project reminded me that good design is intentional. Every detail — from layout to color to interaction — should balance aesthetics with usability. Accessibility, clarity, and user comfort should always guide design decisions, especially when creating for vulnerable users.