KidzAlive Talk Tool: Sometimes we get to develop apps that change lives
Transform a life-saving healthcare tool into a world-class interactive experience
Wherever we find people experiencing challenges, we have the opportunity to use technology to help solve them. Zoëlife is an organisation focused on bringing wholeness to children, youth and families. To achieve this, they develop tools that fill systemic gaps and enhance support networks.
The KidzAlive Talk Tool app, produced in partnership with Qualcomm, is one such tool.
In 2024, Talk Tool App won the GSMA GLOMO Award in the Tech4Good category – Best Mobile Innovation for Enhancing the lives of Children and Young People. Announced at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, the GLOMO awards are renowned for recognising innovation and positive change in the mobile ecosystem. Read more here.
Originally a paper-based healthcare tool developed by Zoëlife and endorsed by the South African National Department of Health, our digital recreation of the Talk Tool is a part of the wider KidzAlive Mobilized drive. The adoption of wireless technology is a means to overcome the social and structural barriers attached to HIV testing and support in South Africa.
Challenge
Zoëlife selected PlusNarrative to digitise and animate their valuable storytelling support tool. We aimed to create a world-class interactive experience which caters for rich child input, all-encompassing healthcare worker feedback systems, and comprehensive medical monitoring through ethical and private data accumulation.
Solution
The solution needed to be engaging and appealing for children, as well as easy to navigate for people who didn’t spend much time online.
We animated a fun bunch of characters to help guide children through their learning journey and aimed for simple designs to make it easy for healthcare workers or caregivers to input information. With designs complete, we moved swiftly to build a comprehensive, intuitive app.
Data security was the most important part of this project, because it involves highly sensitive information about the personal health of minors.
We built with encryption, so that the data sent from the app to an external dashboard for reporting would be protected at all times. The healthcare workers using the app often live in areas with poor connectivity, so we also enabled the app to cache data securely for offline use.
Today, the Talk Tool app connects the child, parent or care-giver, and health-care workers on a level of mutual understanding, through a story told by a recognisable crew of characters relatable to children.
Results
The interactive stories offered on the app increased children’s retention of information and led to a safer, more positive grasp of their HIV status.
After receiving training on the Talk Tool app, healthcare workers in Qualcomm’s pilot study reported a 62% increase in confidence and competence in providing age-appropriate, children-centered counseling, disclosure and care for HIV-exposed and -infected children.
By providing this unifying experience for all parties concerned, the Talk Tool app is able to diminish the fear felt during testing and support processes, thereby improving the quality of life of at-risk children – and changing the future one life at a time.
Creating digital experiences that put people first is what we do best, so get in touch with the team to co-create with us!
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