iCareCoops

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!