🐶 LAIKA / AI Co-Trainer for Service Dogs

PARTNERS : Parsons School of Design + Microsoft

Laika is a case study that outlines the key insights and outcomes from a project developed in collaboration with service dog trainers, accessibility advocates, and AI researchers. The project addresses the complex challenge of limited access to service dogs by reimagining the training process through systems thinking, stakeholder-driven research, and speculative design. Using AI as a co-training tool, the project explores how emerging technologies can reduce subjectivity and increase success rates in service dog training.

TEAM : Angel L, Anupama K, Tania G

⚡️ IMPACT : Laika expands equitable access to service dogs by reducing training complexity

Problem

Key Role

Outcome

Impact

Despite 61 million Americans living with disabilities that could benefit from a service dog, less than 1% are paired with one. The training process is complex, subjective, and costly—leading to high failure rates and limited access.

  • Led stakeholder mapping, research, and discovery

  • Planned and managed project timelines

  • Synthesized insights into guiding principles

  • Crafted visual storytelling and curated final video

  • Mapped ecosystem with 10+ stakeholders

  • Conducted 6 expert interviews

  • Tested solution and gathered user feedback


  • Reduced failure risk in service dog programs

  • Improved training consistency and accessibility

  • Empowered trainers and users with AI-driven support

Project Summary

Week 1 - 2

Opportunity Framing

Insight Generation

Generative Research

Ideation

Idea Development

Idea Selection

Tasks

Duration

Concept Co-Development

Concept selection

Concept Prototyping

Evaluative research

Prototype Refinement

Solution implementation


User flows

& Prototyping

Week 8 - 13

Narrative Development

Narrative refinement

Partner Pitch and Feedback

Partner pitch &

Feedback

Week 14 - 15

Phase

Intent Coversation

Brief Exploration

Partner management

Team Building

Project Planning

Problem Definiton

Discovery

and Scoping

Service Dog Exploration

& Ideation

Week 3 - 7

Process Overview

Week 1-2: Discovery & Scoping

Week 3 - 7: Service Dog Exploration & Ideation

Week 8 - 13: User Flows & Prototyping

Week 14 - 15: Partner Pitch & Feedback

Learnings & Reflections: Start, Stop and Continue Retrospective

The Team: Tania, Mrunmayee (Me), Anupama and Angel (From the left)

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