One of my favorite projects was working on TEMI, an autonomous AI assistant robot designed to follow users, navigate spaces independently, and help people connect with family, friends, and online services.

At St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre Brantford, TEMI was piloted in a six-month HiREB-approved clinical study in 2023-2024 to help reduce feelings of loneliness among residents.

I worked closely with programmers from the MEDIC team to design the UX and product flows for TEMI. This project really pushed me to think differently about design. Our main users were elderly residents and patients, so every interaction had to be simple, clear, and accessible. Through continuous testing, I learned how important accessibility features are, from readable interfaces to reducing cognitive load and making navigation intuitive.

Putting myself in the users' position helped me better understand their emotional needs. Many residents simply wanted someone to talk to, especially in their own language. That insight led us to include AI-powered translation features to support multilingual communication and make conversations feel more natural and inclusive.

This project deeply touched me. Seeing residents feel joyful and connected reminded me that design isn't just about functionality, it can truly impact someone's emotional well-being. It strengthened not only my UX and collaboration skills, but also my empathy as a designer.

Find out more about TEMI and the MEDIC team here.