Discovering Unmet Needs for Children with ADHD
Clients: Q2Behave and New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC).
The ask: Early-stage, exploratory research as proof of concept for a startup developing a wearable for children with ADHD.
Method: One-on-one interviews, card sort.
Languages: English.
“We have engaged Rachel for several projects where customer insights were critical to the ongoing development of a medical device. In each case Rachel came up to speed quickly and integrated well with our team members. Her final research presentations were thorough, presenting clear and actionable insights for furthering the product development process.”
—Aiden Petrie, Managing Partner, New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC) Foundation
Impact: This research went into the early prototyping of the project, as well as was used to apply for and attract funding for further product development. The startup won a state-wide business competition in 2022.
Research Insight: Challenges in working with kids with ADHD are compounded by the fact that many parents of children with ADHD also have ADHD themselves, sometimes undiagnosed. Parents often don’t have their own executive function skills to work with their children who also lack them. This is a design challenge for devices for ADHD kids and their families.
Process: I conducted early-stage, formative research. I interviewed parents and behavioral health specialists about their current struggles as well as treatment and behavioral approaches. I also chose to conduct a card sort with them to see what features in the device they would find the most helpful and most important.