AVRI Stories

AVRI Stories is an innovative mobile app designed to help individuals stay connected with their loved ones, even when physical distance or health challenges like dementia create separation. The app was born from observing residents in care facilities experiencing anxiety, fear, and agitation from missing their families—behavioral challenges that needed a compassionate technological solution.

By allowing users to record themselves reading short stories (approximately 7 minutes each), the app provides a way for family members to share meaningful moments that can be accessed anytime, offering comfort and continuity. Beyond residential care, AVRI Stories serves families separated by distance, parents connecting with children when they can't be present, and anyone wanting to maintain emotional bonds across physical separation.

I served as Lead UX/UI Designer, owning the end to end product experience from discovery through launch readiness on both iOS and Android. I partnered closely with stakeholders to translate an emotionally complex problem space into a clear, accessible, and human centered digital experience.

My role spanned research synthesis, UX strategy, visual design, and development collaboration. I created the product's information architecture, wireframes, prototypes, and design system while supporting sprint planning, developer handoff, usability testing, and QA through MVP completion.

Residents in care facilities often experience emotional distress caused by separation from loved ones. This distress frequently manifests as anxiety, agitation, or behavioral challenges that negatively impact quality of life and increase strain on caregivers. Families, in turn, struggle with guilt and helplessness, unable to provide consistent emotional support due to physical distance or health limitations.

Traditional communication methods such as phone calls or video chats require real time coordination and technical proficiency. These tools are often unreliable for individuals with cognitive decline and fail to provide comfort outside scheduled interactions. Families needed a solution that allowed them to offer emotional presence on demand, without requiring technical complexity or synchronized availability.

Research included observational insights from residential care environments and direct conversations with families navigating long term separation. These sessions revealed that emotional reassurance was often more impactful than live conversation, particularly when delivered through familiar voices and repeated exposure.

Findings also highlighted the importance of asynchronous access. Residents benefited from replaying content multiple times, while families valued the ability to create meaningful moments without scheduling pressure. Accessibility emerged as a core requirement, driving decisions around guided recording, email based sharing, and minimal interaction steps for recipients.

AVRI Stories was designed as an asynchronous storytelling experience that prioritizes emotional connection over real time interaction. The app enables family members to record short stories that combine audio, video, and text, allowing loved ones to engage at their own pace and revisit content whenever comfort is needed.

The solution emphasizes simplicity and accessibility through guided recording flows, email based sharing, and unlimited replay. These design choices reduce technical barriers while ensuring the experience remains emotionally resonant and usable for individuals with cognitive or sensory challenges.

Although AVRI Stories has not yet publicly launched, early validation demonstrated strong interest and readiness for pilot testing. Care teams across multiple states expressed alignment with the product's goals, identifying clear opportunities to support residents' emotional well being.

Family interviews and prototype testing confirmed demand for asynchronous connection, with early feedback indicating increased feelings of closeness and reassurance. The project concluded with a fully designed, launch ready MVP prepared for real world evaluation in care and home environments.