Livetech and AARP Team Up for a Caregiving Innovation Design Sprint

11 Dec Livetech and AARP Team Up for a Caregiving Innovation Design Sprint

During the week of November 12, 2018, Livetech and AARP partnered in a week-long strategy sprint to expand caregiving experiential learning opportunities for older adults. This deep dive, led by Douglas Ferguson, founder and president of  Voltage Control, a Design Sprint and Innovation Workshop Agency, helped the teams think outside the box.

Mapping 

On day one, the teams dove right into mapping the problems by listening to caregivers tell their stories and explain their most pressing concerns.

Then they took notes using the “How might we…” format, to encourage big-picture thinking. Ferguson said, “What makes this approach different is that I start with the end in mind. Then I have teams look backward to figure out the steps needed to get there.”

Sketching 

On day two, teams delved into the research to sketch solutions with lighting demos. This involved finding inspiration through “competitors, adjacent services, intuitive interfaces, inspiring branding, and compelling content,” explained Ferguson. Then from collecting and observing, they moved on to develop solutions using the 4-Step Sketch.

Deciding

Reviewing ideas was the launching point for day three. Teams considered each potential solution and narrowed the top choices to develop a prototype that could be presented to caregivers.

They worked their way around the room, creating a heat map of ideas with high potential. By the end of the day, they settled on two innovative ideas with branching paths: technology and socialization.

Prototyping

The teams spent day four fine-tuning and then collaborating on scripts and design elements that could be assimilated into experiences for caregivers. In a feverish sprint to the finish line, they worked until close to midnight to produce polished and integrated prototypes.

Testing!

Day five was reveal day as Ferguson presented the next-step prototypes to five caregivers for honest feedback and insight. Further testing and development are underway for phase two.