iCareCoops - SYNYO GmbH

iCareCoops goes hands-on at the AAL Forum

SYNYO — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 15:21:54 +0000

iCareCoops

THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED BY iCareCoops PROJECT

iCareCoops goes hands-on at the AAL Forum

iCareCoops participated with a workshop panel about system design and UX at the AAL Forum. At the annual event of the European community of ICT for active ageing we presented a full approach: from requirements gathering through stakeholder needs analysis to the deduction of design and implementation guidelines. The diverse AAL end-user group and the coop context were emphasised in particular. Examples from iCareCoops helped to illustrate the process steps. Furthermore, participants got the chance to take part in an exclusive design walkthrough of the iCareCoops solution to apply the new knowledge. Check out the slides deck!

iCareCoops interface design sets standards in Web Content Accessibility

In October, the iCareCoops team presented their paper “Implementing WCAG and ISO 9241 in AAL Software Applications – A Case Study” at the 2nd IET International Conference on Technologies for Active and Assisted Living (TechAAL 2016) in London. In the plenary presentation, important findings from the iCareCoops projects on the implementation of usability and accessibility standards were shared with the international research and development community. Besides the presentation of the results, essential inputs for future work on iCareCoops and in the field of AAL were identified during the sessions and networking opportunities. Motivated by the positive feedback, we will strive to provide a full set of implementation suggestions based on the iCareCoops solutions, fostering future usable and accessible solution development.

Feedback from business model tests

In the last months the business aspect of iCareCoops was taken to the next level. The extended business plan includes measures for exploitation of the iCareCoops platform after the project has ended. Potential revenue models and marketing strategies are identified and analysed. Members of the Expert and Advisory Board and additional experts have been consulted for the optimisation of the business model. The three most important test cases have been derived from the current business model canvas. Test cards as presented at the AAL2Business workshop have been developed. They are part of the lean startup methodology by Strategyzer. Thus, the updated business plan is a key document to ensure the sustainability of the project achievements and include, among other things, a sharpened project vision, goals and value proposition (especially for older adults), a tested business model, market analysis, customer segments (including the mobile app), competitor analysis, relevance of case studies and best practices for coop managers, and IPR considerations. A second version of the document is due in April 2017.

Final bug-fixing for pilot tests

The iCareCoops platform and its service modules, the APIs and the mobile app have made great progress. Finishing touches are added to have the software solutions ready for pilot tests early 2017. Verification tests are being developed to perform usability tests on the iCareCoops solution. We are primarily interested in covering the users’ experience when they use the iCareCoops solution. We divide usability into three main categories as previously described by Gregersen and Wisler-Poulsen: Functionality, efficiency, and satisfaction. To get a wide range of insights, we have decided to use thinking aloud, qualitative semi-structured interviews and quantitative test methods. Stay tuned for details about pilot testing and our project meeting in Zurich!

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iCareCoops technical specification kicks off

SYNYO — Mon, 09 May 2016 15:18:07 +0000

iCareCoops

THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED BY iCareCoops PROJECT

iCareCoops technical specification kicks off

Once the concept of iCareCoops had been derived from our research we started to design a first version of the technical architecture, modules, database and framework. In this process we heavily made use of the popular Unified Modeling Language (UML) for architecture design. The development team analysed current frameworks and libraries to define an optimal development environment for the iCareCoops implementation. The investigation concluded that Laravel (backend), Bootstrap (frontend) and MySQL (database) are best suited for the specific requirements.

Getting user feedback through paper prototype tests

Based on the first draft of the technical specification we developed paper prototypes of the solutions. This method provides a time and cost efficient way to get user feedback on the concept before the technical implementation. It is very useful to identify issues early on avoiding development overhead. The test sessions also included background interviews, post-test debriefs as well as qualitative and quantitative assessments. 22 participants representing 3 end-user groups have been invited. Previous studies have proven that this size suffices to discover about 70% of UI issues.

One of the main insights was that many participants showed negative emotions because of misunderstandings, information overload, used language and missing operations. Nonetheless, all tested care receivers would use the solution again and were 83% satisfied with the prototype. Moreover, participants showed great interest in the platform as a whole.

Iteratively optimising the specification

After the paper prototype tests the technical specification was updated and comprehensive use cases added. Features, component attributes and the database were finally specified in detailed lists. The validated requirements document with wireframes, database specification, use case specifications and component and feature specification marked the completion of milestone M3.

Let the coding begin

The previously defined framework and database needed to be installed to finally start with the implementation of the iCareCoops solutions. Starting with user operations, user profiles, login, user list view and information services technical development has been well underway. Usability is key in our AAL context. We aim to create a system that efficiently supports the user in their task. This means it must be suitable for the user’s tasks and have a clear navigation and interface structure including skeuomorphic elements. The UI design must easily forgive any user errors and provide an understandable solution for error recovery. Special focus is put on accessibility ensuring that as many users as possible can use iCareCoops themselves. The development team relies on heuristic principles of design for senior users by Jacob Nielsen and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). iCareCoops aims to achieve at least Level A or above of this usability standard which demands, for instance, a high contrast version of the user interface.

Connect your solution to iCareCoops!

In the course of the project we define an application programming interface (API) for uptake by third parties. Using web services and open data structure specifications you can connect your solution to iCareCoops. The REST architectural style is broadly used and provides high flexibility. Security implications have been considered in each and every step because of the sensible health background of the project. Access to iCareCoops is only possible through authentication via an access code in order to validate the requester. This access code will be generated by a request containing a username and password.

With all deliverables submitted in time and the implementation of first features and modules the project is well prepared for the midterm review by the AAL programme and looking forward to a fresh external view on iCareCoops and feedback on how to further optimise our solution.

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The project consortium reunites in Ljubljana

SYNYO — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 15:06:09 +0000

iCareCoops

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The project consortium reunites in Ljubljana

The team of iCareCoops met for a two-day working meeting in Lubjljana (Slovenia) to kick-off work package 3 CONECPT. The objective of the meeting was to have a shared understanding of the research results and lay the conceptual foundation for the technical specification of the iCareCoops solutions. Thus, work package 2 results have been presented, to get all participants on the same page. In multiple workshop sessions personas have been defined, user stories generated, module and feature descriptions derived and first wireframes designed. Through everyone’s contribution at this early stage of the technical specification, we could gather all the dispersed knowledge in one place and aggregate it into first concepts.

End-users are open to ICT and favour mobile solutions

ZHAW summarised main insights, learnings and first requirements identified for the conception phase. The most valuable results for the working meeting concerned the stakeholder studies, especially from the user group. Interestingly, users are more open to ICT than the providers, favouring mobile solutions. Ease of use and detailed video tutorials or voice assistance are important to them though. Personal contact is vital for providers. Relatives of care-takers as well as more experienced ICT users would profit most from the iCareCoops solution. Some obstacles include missing internet access of seniors, lack of computers and financial resources of the people interested in founding their own care cooperative. The first focus groups also pointed out, that the full potential of ICT cannot be imaged by a lot of end-users.

Lack of resources is the main obstacle of ICT use for cooperatives

Cooperatives Europe highlighted major challenges and opportunities based on their investigation of cooperatives across Europe. There is a huge diversity of membership systems and public support. Most coopertives need a marketing strategy besides word of mouth and desire a stabilization of their business model. Because of the flat hierarchies voting and management processes would benefit a lot from ICT services. They tend to be aware of the advantages of ICT usage but lack time, money and skills and show concern about accessibility. ZDUS closed the presentation slot with an overview of AAL solutions.

May we introduce, Knud (75), care-receiver

iDeal started the workshop sessions with an overview of their app development process before the consortium split up into two working groups. The outputs of the first session were three personas i.e. “Hildegard” (50 years), who has to take care of her mother, “Knud” (75 years), who lives alone on his farm and needs care, and “Herbert” (37 years), who works as a physical therapist for a cooperative. With these archetypical end-users in mind a collection of about seventy first requirements in the form of user stories were derived from the research results. These requirements have been taken as basis for initial module and feature descriptions of the core compontents Foundation Navigator, AAL Solution Selector, Membership Management, Care Coop Presenter, Collective Buying and the Mobile App. The results were put into wireframes and presented to the consortium to get feedback from the other team. The meeting was closed with a brainstorming and strategy session for dissemination and administrative tasks.

The workshop resulted in fruitful discussions and led to a much clearer understanding of the technical solutions, its USP and user-flow from hearing about the iCareCoops concept for the first time to founding an own enterprise.

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Use-centred at heart

SYNYO — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:07:18 +0000

NEWS

THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED BY iCareCoops PROJECT

Use-centred at heart

Use-centred at heart

iCareCoops is committed to their users. Stakeholder requirements and expectations are strongly emphasised within the elaboration of the ICT tools to ensure flexible and practical solutions that can easily be used by elderly people. The design and conception phase will rely not only on participation from elderly care cooperatives and other carers as targeted users, but will also require input from AAL suppliers and their expertise. The conception phase aims to generate strong use cases designed to define ICT-supported cooperative service modules.

Stakeholder re-defined

1984 R. Edward Freeman started the field of stakeholder theory. Considering his background in strategic management his early theory has to be taken with a grain of salt in the context of elderly care. Clarkson provides a useful classification speaking of primary stakeholders, on whom a company depends, and secondary stakeholders, who are influential but not directly engaged with everyday business. The way both types interact with each other has vast influences on a company’s success. Thus, the relevance of having a clear definition of care stakeholders is very high.

Investigating more than 200 organisations all across Europe

All partners first identified stakeholders according to the definition in their countries resulting in structured list of over 200 organisations located in Spain, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, the UK, Malta, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. Then, primary and secondary stakeholders of care cooperatives were analysed and characterised. Results show great differences and regional specifics. A majority of initiatives is, for instance, listed as registered association. Some are financed exclusively by national governments, while others operate to make a profit. Customers of care products and services, on the other hand, are not only used by members, but by a much wider network of people in need. The fifty most promising cases have been examined in more depth, showing that fourteen stakeholders are members of the respective cooperative and 12 are state institutions. Results include further investigations of shareholders, investors, employees, customers, suppliers, governments, communities, the media and other related companies and can be found in the corresponding report. Moreover, the comprehensive stakeholder list will be translated into a highly intuitive, interactive map with engaging content layers on the iCareCoops web-platform.

From stakeholder identification to stakeholder studies

Only after the identification of relevant primary stakeholders the in-depth end-user studies can be performed. This next step in the development of iCareCoops aims to derive group-specific requirements, expectations, and constraints, including the evaluation of legal, cultural, and ethical issues related to ICT-based support of care cooperatives. Stakeholder interviews and focus groups will deliver pioneering insights regarding workflows and other organisational matters the platform can help with. These results mean the next step towards realising the bold vision of iCareCoops, an innovative web-based platform which offers interactive ICT- and AAL-based services, processes and mobile applications to enable an environment of true collaboration and cooperation which supports carers and cooperatives in their diverse and demanding tasks.

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From research to concept through deep end-user involvement

SYNYO — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 17:22:00 +0000

NEWS

THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED BY iCARECOOPS PROJECT

From research to concept through deep end-user involvement

The team of iCareCoops meets again in Ljubljana to together transform all gained knowledge into the concept of the web-platform and its tools. Under the coordination of SYNYO they design the basic architecture, the overall framework and the service modules in multiple workshop panels over the course of two days. End-users then test and review results in the form of paper prototypes and wireframes and provide feedback on initial designs. The team of iCareCoops is well aware, that only through the involvement of elderly people, who are supposed to benefit from the solutions, iCareCoops can reach the ambitious goal the team has committed to: improve elderly care and create tools with a long-term impact on assisted living.

ActiveAdvice Results of End-User Tests

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AAL.Vision

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September 27, 2017

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How to successfully implement a cooperative model

SYNYO — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 16:13:33 +0000

NEWS

THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED BY iCARECOOPS PROJECT

How to successfully implement a cooperative model

The challenge is to target people in their 40s and 50s, points out Josef Martin, founder of best practice elderly care c
ooperative in Riedlingen (Germany). His organisation has been supporting elderly people to stay in their homes since 1991. The cooperative principle is simple: Helpers, often elderly people themselves, support each other with services such as day care, transportation and assisted living and receive time credits (or money). Once these members are in need of care themselves they can redeem their credits for being taken care of by others. Thus, it is vital to raise awareness among people in their 40s and 50s to keep the system running. Josef Martin successfully shows how to do so with 750 members and 130 collaborators in his care cooperative.

Taking elderly care to the next level

In March 2015 Josef Martin met with the team of iCareCoops in Vienna to share his experience and launch this ambitious two-year project funded by the AAL Programme. iCareCoops that takes the cooperative model as implemented in Riedlingen and over 200 other care cooperatives in Germany to the next level. Eight partners from seven European countries create novel ICT-driven solutions to empower carers and elderly people to tackle the increasing demand for elderly care at a time of limited resources and extend the time elderly people can live in their preferred environment. iCareCoops is designed as a three-level-concept with information, cooperative, and, AAL-driven service levels. These intelligent, interactive, and inclusive services are developed with deep end-user involvement and provided via a powerful web-based platform, a mobile app, and an Open API.

Scientific research as strong foundation for stronger elderly care

The team of iCareCoops has been conducting comprehensive research from literature reviews and best practice analyses to stakeholder interviews and focus groups. Any attempt to develop a stronger approach supporting existing cooperatives and promoting the establishment of new ones, requires a thorough understanding of the services that these cooperatives are intending to offer as well as in-depth knowledge of the requirements and challenges of all involved actors. Early results surprisingly show, that despite the growing popularity of the sharing economy and cooperative models, there is an overall lack of literature on cooperatives for many European countries. Diverse political contexts, different legal bases and the different use of the term “cooperative” result in a variety of approaches and a very regional focus of models. Nonetheless, all models provide a broad and adapting variety of support, that iCareCoops now integrates in a novel, holistic and easily customisable platform.

From research to concept through deep end-user involvement

The team of iCareCoops meets again in Ljubuljana to together transform all gained knowledge into the concept of the web-platform and its tools. Under the coordination of SYNYO they design the basic architecture, the overall framework and the service modules in multiple workshop panels over the course of two days. End-users then test and review results in the form of paper prototypes and wireframes and provide feedback on initial designs. The team of iCareCoops is well aware, that only through the involvement of elderly people, who are supposed to benefit from the solutions, iCareCoops can reach the ambitious goal the team has committed to: improve elderly care and create tools with a long-term impact on assisted living.

ActiveAdvice Results of End-User Tests

March 1, 2018

AAL.Vision

0 Comments

September 27, 2017

Understand the Dimenstions of Organised Crime and Terrorist Networks for Developing Effective and Efficient Security Solutions for First-line-practitioners and Professionals

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