Heartbeat

Heartbeat was designed to improve the mental health of pregnant women experiencing homelessness. Heartbeat allows mothers to connect and bond with their unborn child: tactile vibrations relay the baby’s sounds and movements to help relax the mother both physically and mentally. It also provides the opportunity for mothers to strengthen their social skills.

This university project taught me the value of real research, the effectiveness of presentation layout, how to use a new design tool, and I was introduced to working on an industry-inspired project.

Research was conducted using several methods, including online research, online interview and in-person interviews. Data showed that when people experiencing homelessness are given a responsibility, it greatly boosts their self confidence and self worth. This in turn improves both their physical and mental health.

Three concepts were developed to help the mothers look after themselves whilst expecting. These were presented to the class, lecturer, tutor and health industry representative.

Concept 1 is a product that would allow the mother to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. Lisa, an antenatal nurse, revealed that if these women show up for their prenatal health checks, it is generally only because they want to hear their child’s heartbeat. This product would enable the mother to start bonding with the baby, check its heart rate and will provide a calming, steady sound to assist any mental issues the mother might be experiencing.

Concept 2 is an arm or leg band that will test and monitor the content of blood. It will scan or sense the blood and display the levels of iron, glucose, red and white cells. Research showed that food vans and other sources don’t always provide nutricious food, which is not ideal for a growing baby. Needles are intrusive, can cause bruising and pain, and blood tests can take a long time to process. This would make health checks quicker, less painful and allow the mother to know what vitamins and supplements they may need to consume more of.

Concept 3 is a bar that is inserted into the arm and will release vitamins slowly. All primary resources agreed that medication use and dosage needs improvement, as users often don’t use them correctly and overdose, or they run the risk of the medication being stolen. This would be a solution to both problems.

“Amazing.” | “Great concepts.”

“1st idea is really strong, it has very strong emotional ties. I could see the first idea getting funding to actually make it.”

Feedback was very positive, with comments on the boards being easy to read and use of different background colours making each concept easy to identify. Research was praised for completing “good, real research and that shows. You’ve found a true specific need.”

Concept 1 was decided to be the strongest idea and progressed. Further research was conducted, more sketching done, models made and the concept iterated. Application Transfer Design (ATD) was employed into the design process, as part of learning a new design technique. Dolphins’ echolocation was researched, abstracted and applied to the concept.

Finally, the refined concept was presented. Originally named the ‘UltraTouch’, below are the presentation slides for the Heartbeat design.

Designed to improve the mental health of pregnant women experiencing homelessness, Heartbeat allows mothers to connect and bond with their unborn child. Tactile vibrations relay the baby’s sounds and movements to help relax the mother both physically and mentally.

Heartbeat triggers ASMR reactions to relax the mother, by using a combination of visual and physical elements. It’s designed to be used in a dedicated “relaxation room” in a hospital, which will encourage mothers to attend their health checks. Mothers can sit or lay comfortably in any position, relaxing alone or socialising with other mothers while using the Heartbeat.

Sensors detect vibrations made by the baby’s heartbeat and movements, which are conditioned, amplified and relayed to the mother via tactile nodes. These nodes stimulate pressure points on the hands when vibrating. It uses adhesive gel to stick to the belly and support itself, whilst a flexible middle allows a snug fit for all belly sizes. The external casing is made of Polypropylene, suitable for a hospital context as it is lightweight, durable and easily cleanable. The casing also allows for Induction Charging, eliminating the need for cables (making the room visually quieter) and easy to remove from charging, should a mother be in a rush.