Title | FACE 2 FACE |
Brand | GENESIS SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION |
Product / Service | FACE 2 FACE LEARNING MOBILE APPLICATION |
Category | A05. Health & Wellness Tech |
Entrant | GENESIS SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION Singapore, SINGAPORE |
Idea Creation | DDB SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
Production | DDB SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE |
Name | Company | Position |
---|---|---|
Chris Chiu | DDB Group Singapore | Group Chief Creative Officer |
Melvin Kuek | DDB Group Singapore | Deputy CEO |
Iu La Lueta | DDB Group Singapore | Creative Director |
Sithum Walter | DDB Group Singapore | Senior Art Director |
Samantha Liew | DDB Group Singapore | Senior Copywriter |
Yih Cheng Yak | DDB Group Singapore | Business Director |
Kylie Wong | DDB Group Singapore | Senior Project Manager |
Herry Budiyanto | DDB Group Singapore | Principal Consultant, Technology |
Chun Guan Neo | DDB Group Singapore | Lead Consultant, Mobile and Innovation |
Mike Tran | DDB Group Singapore | Senior Mobile Engineer |
Chee Kean Lee | DDB Group Singapore | Visualiser |
Cho Zan Aung | DDB Group Singapore | Visualiser/Animator |
Ching Ong Cheng | DDB Group Singapore | Visualiser |
Mariana Jessica | DDB Group Singapore | Animator |
Bettina Feng | DDB Group Singapore | Head of Broadcast |
Deborah Chia | DDB Group Singapore | Producer |
Rebecca Toh | Freelance | Videographer |
Wei Fong Pang | Freelance | Editor |
Simon Tan | Freelance | Editor |
Jamie Marcelo | FFX Film Pte Ltd | Editor |
The Face 2 Face App equips every parent with a tool that can help improve their child’s social skills, at home or anywhere, through their own personal digital device. It’s made available for free download worldwide from the App Store.
One in 150 children in Singapore has autism, a rate higher than WHO’s global figure of one in 160. Yet therapy sessions in Singapore – one of Asia’s most expensive cities – are pricey and limited. Children here could wait months between sessions, making it difficult to improve their condition.
Autistic children love to interact with digital devices but autism apps are dominated by single-user apps; none has social interaction as its primary focus. Face 2 Face offers a 2-user experience that allows parent and child to use the app while sitting face to face.
Many autistic children struggle with social interaction, even with their parents. They prefer to interact with digital devices, which creates even higher walls of isolation in their lives.
What if connecting with autistic children was as simple as placing the iPad down between us and them? Introducing Face 2 Face. The first two-user experience App that connects parents to their autistic child with a two-way Mirror Keypad, designed to let them sit face to face, facilitating interaction. Turning kiddo’s favourite screen time into face time with mom or dad.
Our idea was further validated through discussion and consultation with Genesis School For Special Education and the Child Development Unit at the National University Hospital of Singapore. We also found out that many parents of children with autism find it hard to vie for attention with digital devices, hindering them from teaching social skills. So, our strategy was simple – to turn the very same device that brings about isolation, into one that connects autistic children with their parents.
Inspired by the simple gesture of a child lowering the iPad onto a table, we worked together with Genesis School For Special Education, the Child Development Unit at the National University Hospital of Singapore, UX specialists and mobile engineers to come up with an original Mirror Keypad interface. This unique two-way app interface lets children sit face to face with their parents while using the same device, facilitating their interaction. We then created Face 2 Face – an interactive learning app that teaches social and literacy skills using the Mirror Keypad interface, bringing social interaction into digital learning. The app became a part of the curriculum of the Genesis School For Special Education; it was then uploaded on the App Store and made available for free download, so parents all over the world can equip themselves with this tool and use it for practice at home, or anywhere.
Face 2 Face was tested by children over a period of 6 months. 80% of them showed significant engagement, and 100% of the parents gave us positive feedback (according to trials by the Genesis School For Special Education and the Child Development Unit at the National University Hospital of Singapore). This year alone, the app will be included in the curriculum of Genesis School For Special Education. Released on the App Store, it’s on track to reach more children in Singapore and worldwide.