Brush Ahead

This is the front page of the web app
Users can choose to use this as a part of their morning or night routine to promote brushing teeth two times a day
Users can select from a range of everyday activities that they might encounter
This screenshot was taken from the swimming sensory story to demonstrate some of the topics discussed and how they're presented

Inspiration

Our project is designed to aid neurodivergent children between the ages of 4 and 11 who experience sensory overstimulation in their day-to-day lives by exploring different scenarios, senses and feelings that may arise.

We wanted to create a product that can be easily integrated into a routine, as we recognise that many neurodivergent children struggle with this change. Therefore, making this an activity they can do while brushing their teeth may reduce the stress of having an extra step in their morning/night routine. This also gives them something to distract them from the high-sensory experience of brushing their teeth, as well as ensuring that they brush for the recommended 2 minutes.

What it does

This web app guides a child through high-sensory situations they may encounter throughout their day while they are brushing their teeth. They have the option to choose whether it is morning or bedtime, and then go on to choose which activity they're doing on the upcoming day. This leads them to a two-minute video that goes through different sensory/emotional experiences they may face during this activity, as well as showing them different things they can do to be less overstimulated. These include bright lights, loud noises and feeling scared, all with suggestions of how to manage these. The videos play at a slower speed, allowing for some children to read, and some children to be read to. The first person-language allows for relatability and the animations allow for visualisations for pre-verbal children. Once the video is complete, they are mentally prepared to face the day!

How we built it

As non-computer scientists (in fact, an electrical engineer and a biologist!), our technical knowledge was limited, so we stuck to the simplicity of using HTML and CSS developed in Visual Studio Code. Each screen is a new HTML page, with buttons providing navigational links between them. These were all styled using one CSS document. After creating a brand colour palette, the animations were hand-drawn on a digital art device, and the sensory stories were self-written. These were animated in Canva and uploaded as mp4 files. These can be seen by navigating through the website (or viewed via the YouTube link as a second option on Devpost).

Challenges we ran into

TIME! Turns out we both got a little sleepy but we still managed to make the deadline. Also, there were a few ... um... how do we say ...technical hitches ... trying to implement buttons, with them moving all over the screen, and, at one point, splitting in half! Thankfully, the pieces of the button have since been reunited and are firmly situated within the web page.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the brand identity of Brush Ahead - we ensured that we used primary colour contrasts that met the 4.5:1 colour ratio required in the WCAG AA guidelines, as well as using a muted colour palette to ease visual strain. We hope that the videos themselves are a soothing sensory experience for children, allowing smooth transitions between daytime and bed.

Also, if we do say so ourselves, we think our little guy is super duper cute!

What we learned

We've learned a lot about web design, and the process have definitely sped up as we've progressed through! Our workload was really well divided, and we ended up having a really nice time doing this.

What's next for Brush Ahead

We would love to add additional scenarios and activities to explore a wider range of sensory experiences. Ideas for this include the dentist, going to school and a restaurant to name but a few. We would also love to expand this into a mobile app or even a book for tech-avoidant parents.

We also see the benefit of creating customisable characters, so children can feel more involved in the process and hopefully feel more inclined to do so. Any additional excitement towards brushing their teeth is considered a major win!