Project Aesop
A mobile application to deliver social stories in a way that reduces maladaptive behaviours and enhances the psychosocial wellbeing of paediatric patients
Team members:
Dot Georgoulas - Project Lead & Lead UXUI Designer
Luke Downward - UXUI Designer
Iris Nguyen - Mobile App Developer
Jocelyn Tanujaya - Mobile App Developer
Supervisor:
Dinah Humphries
Project History
The idea of creating a mobile application to deliver social stories for use in healthcare and hospital settings began with Dinah Humphries, of the Child Life Therapy Team at Monash Children's Hospital. The idea was selected for development during the 2021 Healthcare Innovation Summer Scholarship (HISS) program, a 12 week intensive program backed by MYMI, MIME and Monash Partners, and this is where Project Aesop was born. During this program, our team undertook the biodesign process, liaised with key stakeholders such as ASPECT (Autism Spectrum Australia) and AMAZE, conducted preliminary user interviews and created rudimentary wireframes for our solution. Having successfully passed through the first and second phase of the HISS program, Project Aesop will continue to be developed under the MYMI Projects Branch. Project Aesop is seeking to secure funding in order to be able to move fully from the predesign to design phase of our project.
Goals
Project Aesop is a groundbreaking initiative designed to help children navigate hospital procedures with confidence and ease. By leveraging the power of storytelling, our app delivers engaging, interactive, and soothing narratives that demystify medical experiences, reduce anxiety, and create a sense of comfort. This project represents an innovative fusion of technology and child-centered care, transforming the way young patients prepare for medical procedures.