Since nothing like it existed before, Impulse is an innovative digital speech therapy application designed from scratch for the Galaxy Watch. Its interface is built for the small screen, with universally understandable icons and simplified functions. The app is inclusive and accessible, offering treatment for all with speech disorders through a wearable device that serves as discreet, on-the-go therapist.

The app offers a optimized user experience with intuitive gestures and vivid color details that highlight without draining the battery to provide all-day support. It also allows customization of the profile, adjusting functions with a data-driven design to match individual needs.

Impulse is a free app available on Google Play Store and Galaxy Store that offers help to users with speech disorders. Since speech therapy is not covered by social security in the Spanish health system, Impulse provides accessible and easy-to-use support for everyone. Users only need a smartwatch with Wear OS or an Android phone/tablet (v10 or higher) - 3 devices that anyone have at hand nowadays - to start improving their communication with the help of this app.

Speech therapy has been one of the medical specialties that has evolved the least since its beginnings. It was time to boost the use of advanced technologies to improve the treatment of more than 100M people affected by speech disorders worldwide, including those with Alzheimer's, stroke, dementia, ALS, stuttering … And there was no better scenario than Spain, a country with one of the languages most associated with stuttering.

Historically, all these causes had been dealt with independently. After a thorough investigation, we discovered that there was a common treatment for all of them: rhythm. More specifically, rhythm therapy, a proven speech therapy technique stimulates pace, a universal language we all understand from birth.

To aid all those affected by speech pathologies, we democratized speech therapy, a medical speciality that is still not covered by the Spanish Social Security system, so thousands of people cannot afford treatment... Now everyone can, with something they literally have at hand: a smartwatch / smartphone / tablet.

Situation:

In Spain, speech therapists are not covered by social security, so thousands of people can’t afford treatments. A reality that affects more than half a million Spaniards, isolating and incommunicating them due to the low self confidence caused by speech pathologies.

Brief:

Samsung, in its Technology with Purpose program, wanted to break the barriers of 100M people with speech disorders through technology and its smart devices, in this case the Galaxy Watch.

Objective:

Democratize, through the use of technologies that we all have at hand, a therapy available to few. Designing from scratch an app with an improved rhythm method, in which people can use a digital assistant and personalized exercises to improve their speech problem.

Budget:

Local budget project targeting Iberian market with global impact.

Project scale and volume:

Currently the app is only in Spanish and Portuguese, but it will be expand to 5 languages and markets.

Impulse is a haptic speech therapy to help people with speech disorders through rhythm therapy. An Artificial Intelligence application for Galaxy Watch and Android tab/mobile devices to free speech and give their voice back to the 1% of the world population affected by this pathology.

Through an algorithm based on Natural Language Processing, the app decodes and translates words into rhythmic vibrations allowing users to have an invisible and inaudible aid on their wrist, which helps synchronize the brain with the mouth.

This multifunction app helps users in many situations through Voice assistance, AI speech coach and Rhythm & Tone exercises, all of them based on a subconscious tempo that activates neural impulses of language.

Impulse is a digital therapy that literally takes users by the hand in their daily communication with their environment, giving them confidence and autonomy in any situation, no matter the language they speak.

The design process started with constructing the four core functionalities and defining the flow.

We developed an interface based on icons and colours to facilitate usability, created a specific branding based on Samsung's guidelines, and applied it to each of Impulse's touchpoints.

Wireframes were developed as a low-fidelity outline to set up the screen structure, content blocks, and possible actions, as well as their interactions.

The process proceeded with creating a UI library that included styles (colors and text), original icons, and reusable components for building screens (buttons, text boxes, navigation bars, modals). This led to the final high-fidelity design of the application in Figma after testing the UX with real users.

Points of contact include:

-App stores (Google Play and Samsung Store)

-Communication materials: videos, prints

-Landing page

The design scalability design ensures the app is accessible to everyone, as it can run on mobile devices, tablets, and smartwatches

After more than 6 months of testing and development were carried out in Spain, Portugal, Ghana, USA and UAE, the results are extraordinary both for the brand and the consumer/user:

·Impulse has received the endorsement of the Spanish and the Portuguese Speech Therapy Associations.

·4.5/5 user rating proves the usefulness of the Impulse treatment, as confirmed by testimonials and evaluations from different profiles with speech disorders.

·+100 speech therapy, speech therapy and audiology professionals are already using this digital therapy with their patients (Speechcare, Tartamudez center,...)

·Since the launch of the app at the end of March on download platforms such as Google Play and Galaxy Store, the news generated national and international media coverage, both in general media and specialized marketing and advertising.

·Health professionals, associations and community members helped spread the news on social media with a very positive response from patients and therapists.