Project Overview
DreamLab is a multi-award winning app that uses the processing power of your idle phone to help solve cancer while you sleep.
With so many Australians affected by cancer, finding answers through medical research is incredibly important. The Garvan Institute of Medical Research needs more computing power to speed up cancer research. Donate the power of your smartphone to help by simply downloading the app and charging your smartphone while you sleep.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Transpire (Technology Developer)
Vodafone Foundation (Client)
Amazon Web Services (Server Provider)
Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Data Provider)
Project Brief
The first version of DreamLab originally launched in 2016 on Android devices only. After working extensively with Apple, the iOS version was approved to be developed and released, along with a major update to the UX and design of the apps.
The first release in 2016 attracted a lot of users, who would passively use the app overnight. The goal with version 2 was to try to encourage more active use and participation in the projects.
Project Need
With Dreamlab, while a smartphone is plugged in and fully charged, the app automatically downloads and solves a small cancer research problem. The result is then sent back to Garvan researchers via the Amazon cloud – like a giant crossword puzzle, with each user solving a different clue. For Garvan cancer researchers, DreamLab not only provides free access to a crucial computing resource, it also has the potential to greatly speed up cancer research by the institute.
DreamLab 1.0 was originally only approved to be released to Android users, due to restrictions with Apple's platform. The need for the new version was to find a way to scale the project to include the large percentage of iOS users who couldn't previously use the app, and update and refresh the user experience to encourage more active participation.
User Experience
A massive impetus was put on updating the look and feel of the app, to try and encourage more active participation in using DreamLab daily, and feeling connected to the impact that users could have on contributing to real-world cancer research.
An over-hall of the user interface, branding, look and feel and on-boarding experience was a major focus, along with ensuring the app is friendly to users with accessibility needs.
Users can contribute to cancer research by simply downloading the apps, plugging their phone into the charger before going to bed (to ensure we don't drain their battery,) and hitting the 'Power DreamLab' button. This was a special need for iOS, to meet Apple's strict guidelines on apps that access core computing of the device.
Project Marketing
The re-launch kicked off with a world-first LinkedIn campaign, inviting Australia’s best and brightest to swap their day-job for one that can help solve cancer. The idea was that hacking LinkedIn’s job-swapping algorithm would draw attention to this great cause, and it worked: more than 150 organisations participated in this launch, with a reach of 375k.
Our launch mechanic was driven by the tremendous generosity support from our agencies at JWT, including media coverage across TV and radio, support from celebrities and influencers across Australia, OOH, display, social media, retail, sponsored content, search, employee and government outreach.
Project Privacy
The app accesses the smartphone’s processor and uses a small amount of storage. DreamLab will only access the files it has created in the files directories and app will never access any personal information on a phone.
Medical Research:
DreamLab analyses somatic mutations from cancer patients that have been de-identified for research purposes. Garvan has sourced this data from the published studies of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).
Contact Information:
No personal information of any kind is required to use the app. Any contact details a user provides will only be used to send a quarterly update on Garvan’s research progress. This is on an opt-in basis and can be removed at any time through the app's settings.
Digital - Health
From ground-breaking apps accelerating medical research to apps helping consumers make healthier choices, we're looking for apps that are making health information and medical services more accessible to all.
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