Aida App: How to turn real human and societal problems into AI/LLM solutions; grounded in research and UX excellence, nominated for UX Design Awards in Berlin, 2023.
Introduction
This project was created by Sofia Lorenzini as part of a UX case study at BrainStation Academy, developed over four months in 2021. In Fall 2023, it was nominated for the UX Design Awards in Berlin in recognition of its user-centered approach, AI-driven innovation, and thoughtful product thinking.
The design process led to a cohesive, emotionally resonant brand identity, supported by compelling marketing assets and a clean, intuitive user interface built around modular, user-friendly components. Core task flows were prototyped in Figma, generating strong engagement and interest from hundreds of people eager to see the app come to life.
Tags: Research, Design Thinking, Strategy, Branding, Artificial Intelligence, App, MVP, User Experience, User Interface, Conceptualization, Marketing.
App description
Aida App is an AI-powered solution that automates household chores by detecting, scheduling, and delegating tasks, reducing burnout, decision fatigue, and daily mental load.
Designed to simplify everyday responsibilities, Aida promotes fairness, accountability, and stronger collaboration within the household. User research revealed that it not only streamlines routines but also fosters healthier relationships by enhancing communication, encouraging proactive behavior, and creating a more harmonious, stress-free home environment.
Context & Problem
In today’s fast-paced world, our mental load is constantly under pressure. Between work, personal obligations, and countless micro-decisions, household chores often fall to the bottom of the list, yet they remain essential to a functional and healthy home. This ongoing decision-making leads to decision fatigue, making it even harder to plan, delegate, and complete household tasks efficiently.
This mental overload leads to decision fatigue, making it difficult to plan, delegate, and complete chores effectively. Tasks become unequally shared and undervalued, causing frustration and miscommunication, whether among families, couples, roommates, or landlords and renters. Many overestimate their own contributions or lack visibility into others’ efforts, creating tension and imbalance in shared spaces..
☝🏽 How might we help members of a household delegate household tasks equitably in order to increase collaboration and lead to a more positive experience?
Research-Driven Opportunity
In the first month, I conducted extensive UX research using Design Thinking, the Double Diamond, and user-centered design. Combining quantitative data and qualitative insights, from societal habit reports to surveys and interviews, the research uncovered several consistent user pain points:
- Users felt overwhelmed by the number of daily decisions and didn’t want to spend time planning or managing chores.
- Household maintenance tasks were frequently forgotten, leading to stress or long-term damage to household items.
- Renters and younger users often lacked guidance on proper upkeep, impacting the longevity of household elements.
- Manual input and complex onboarding deterred usage, especially for users already burdened by mental overload.
Strategic UX Decisions & Module Creation
To address these challenges and ensure both usability and adoption, I defined the following core modules after three rounds of iteration:
- Smart Task Recognition & Prioritization: By using LLMs and computer vision, Aida scans rooms and identifies chores automatically. This reduces the need for manual entry and instantly generates a personalized task list.
- Dynamic Scheduling Engine: Instead of forcing users to fit chores into rigid templates, the app maps tasks into available windows within a user's week. This adaptive scheduling reduces friction and promotes consistency.
- Maintenance Tracker: Notify users of long-term maintenance based on item type and usage, essential for preserving furniture and appliances, especially in rental properties.
- Contextual Onboarding: To avoid overwhelming users, user needs a conversational onboarding approach triggered by voice or button interactions. This light-touch experience establishes user context (e.g., family, roommates, or single) to activate default modules and set expectations.
- Communication Layer: Clear instructions are integrated into each chore, so that tasks can be delegated easily among household members, encouraging shared responsibility and reducing misunderstandings.
Visualizing and refining the first user-centered module ideas on paper through rapid sketching and iteration.
Primary task flow: object and room scanning.
Wireframing and prototyping user flows in Figma.
Exploring bold, human-centered use cases by asking: in an ideal world, what once-impossible solutions could we create to truly help people, make real impact, and generate outcomes beyond what we already know?
Emotional Branding for a Digital Home Coach
The goal was to design a digital assistant that felt human, supportive, and emotionally intelligent, not just another cold tech tool. I drew inspiration from smart assistants, cleaning products, and organizing shows like Tidying Up and The Home Edit, focusing on visual cues that convey trust, calm, and clarity.
To shape Aida’s personality, I also explored joyful, friendly characters like Sesame Street and Headspace, using those insights to guide a brand voice that feels playful and encouraging.
From naming to UI to color strategy, every element was designed to position Aida as a helpful, calming presence, turning everyday chores into a more positive, guided experience.
Here is the deck presented with brand and UI elements for the capstone project.
Outcomes
The project achieved significant results, including being nominated for the UX Design Awards and garnering investor interest during the demo day presentation.
The high engagement on LinkedIn posts and the ability to exceed expectations across different audiences further highlighted the success and impact of the design.
Selected Works
