Challenge: Addiction is one of the leading causes of death for teenagers. Those who are under the age of 15 are 5x more likely to develop an addiction.
Solution: Lifeboat is a platform that connects at-risk youth to sponsors who offer guidance that prevent young adults from spiraling into addiction.
research
We conducted field research, interviewed key stakeholders, and sent out a digital survey to gain an understanding of the addiction space.
“Addiction is a thinking disease. If using was the problem I’d be fine.”
We listened in on a Cocaine Anonymous meeting where many individuals had sunken faces and the absence of hope.
Survey
“Alcohol is the leading factor in the top 3 causes of death for 13-21 year olds.”
Survey results expressed that every respondent knew someone who suffered from substance abuse.
Stakeholder Interviews
“Addiction is a disease, not a moral dilemma.”
“He started drinking early when he was 13 years old. He liked the way drinking felt.”
“I need to get a network, because if I fall, I fall in a net.”
stakeholder map
Personas
Key Insights
Throughout our research, we discovered that addicts have core needs for a successful recovery.
Acceptance
The first step in recovery is admitting to having problem. Addicts have to accept that they have a disease and need to be active in their recovery.
Support
Many friends and family lose trust and leave addicts without support. Addicts have to completely change their support system to recover. It is a lifelong battle that they cannot win alone.
Hope
Nearly 3/4 of all drug addicts experience a relapse. Without motivation to keep fighting, addicts lose all hope of recovery.
ideation
Initial concepts
Halfway House
A decentralized halfway house framework managed by artificial intelligence.
Chatbot Sponsor
A chatbot that reinforces positive habit formation through rewards and self-exploration.
VR Therapy
Simulated ethical challenges in virtual reality help addicts learn empathy.
Nanobot Medicine
Nanobots travel into the brain, altering chemical responses to drug cravings.
AR Therapy
Rose-colored lenses that revoke euphoric recall by revealing the atrocity of drugs.
Connected Wearables
A smart-patch that releases incremental doses to wean users off of their addiction.
process
We evaluated all of our initial concepts considering our users' core needs, and moved forward with Chatbot Mentor.
initial prototype
Current Online Network
We looked into AA chatrooms and discovered the AI couldn't have as much authority but still needed to be engaging.
Through this prototype, we learned chatbots couldn't facilitate human connections because there was no trust between users.
ONBOARDING Wireframes
We realized machine learning had the potential to connect people through matching algorithms. We prototyped an interaction where users would share stories of their addiction to make emotional connections.
solution
Share your story
Users describe their personal struggles of addiction through a story. Utilizing keywords, the system matches addicts to sponsors who share a similar experience.
Connect with a Sponsor
Through a story-matching algorithm, users connect with a sponsor whom they can resolve their struggles with. Users can also join a group chats to find others overcoming similar obstacles.
Say how you're feeling
Users log their moods daily to display how they feel. Support systems see these emotions and provide advice to help each other resist temptation.
© 2018. All Rights Reserved to Shabnam Kashani.