Annabot
About
Annabot is an interactive, conversation-based tool that helps healthcare staff structure organisational challenges using a Design approach. It guides users through completing a Design Canvas, making the process engaging rather than feeling like just another form to fill out.
The project is part of the Annafannatics initiative, which aims to improve organisational processes in healthcare by applying co-design methodologies that distinguish between medical and organisational decision-making. Medical decisions should clearly be made with the most amount of education and experience. Solutions for problems with services and processes should be made with the users of these services and processes and involve the deep knowledge of the humans on the frontline of our organisations.
Key Features
- Conversational Interface: Guided by Anna, a friendly Bourke's parakeet character
- Design Canvas Creation: Helps users structure problems and prepare them for collaborative solution-finding
- Role-Based Suggestions: Tailored content for different healthcare roles (nursing, physicians, administration)
- Medical/Organisational Distinction: Helps clarify where medical expertise is needed versus where collaborative design is beneficial
- Lightweight Implementation: Designed to run locally/offline with minimal resources
Vision
Annabot exists to empower healthcare staff at all levels to initiate positive organisational change without creating dependency on external consultants. By providing a structured yet accessible way to articulate challenges, Annabot facilitates the first critical step in the co-design process.
We believe in "Organisational Sovereignty" ("Organisationsmündigkeit") - the principle that organisations should develop the capability to solve their own problems rather than becoming dependent on external gurus.
Installation
Note: This project is currently in development. Installation instructions will be updated as the project progresses.
Using Annabot
Annabot guides users through completing six sections of the Design Canvas:
- People: Who is affected by the problem and who should be involved in finding solutions?
- Challenge: What is the specific organizational issue that needs addressing?
- Impact: What would be the effect of a good solution?
- Vision: What standards would make a solution successful?
- Implementation: (For management) What resources will be allocated to the design process?
- Transparency: (For manageement) How will people outside the process be kept informed?
Once completed, the canvas serves as a structured brief that can be presented to management to allocate resources for a proper design process (such as a Design Sprint).
Project Structure
annabot/
├── src/ # Source code
├── assets/ # Images and static resources
├── docs/ # Documentation
│ ├── canvas/ # Design Canvas resources
│ └── examples/ # Example use cases
└── tests/ # Test suite
Organizational Sovereignty vs. Guru Dependency
A core principle of Annabot is preventing the "guru effect" where external consultants create dependency rather than building internal capability. We will build a community of facilitators that share our values. Our approach emphasizes:
- Building organizational capability rather than external dependency
- Transparent processes that transfer knowledge to the organization
- Measurable outcomes focused on increased organizational self-sufficiency
- Clear boundaries between facilitation and decision-making
Contributing
We welcome contributions from developers, designers, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in improving organisational processes in healthcare!
Contributions file to be written. Check it out for guidelines on how to get involved.
Development Roadmap
- Alpha Phase: Basic conversational flow and canvas creation (Current)
- Beta Phase: Role-based content and example library
- Testing Phase: Pilot implementations in healthcare settings
- Release: First stable version with documentation
The Annafannatics Community
Annabot is just one part of the Annafannatics initiative. Our community offers:
- Free, open-source tools like Annabot
- Support for Design facilitators by Design Advocacy and a system of values
- Facilitation services for healthcare organizations
- Training for internal facilitators
- Resources for implementing co-design in healthcare
License
This project is licensed under the GNU GPL v3 license - see the file for details.
Contact
- GitHub: https://github.com/Annafannatics
- Website: annafannatics.substack.com
Acknowledgments
- All the healthcare professionals who have shared their experiences and challenges
- The Design Thinking Canvas by What Could Be https://www.whatcouldbe.com/viewpoints/designthinkingcanvas
- The Rust community, the 38C3 community, the Monki Gras community
- The open source community for inspiration and support
- Everyone who has listened to the Annabot story and provided feedback