Engineering innovation with Janice Turner
Summary
Her latest endeavour, Kiki, is an automation-driven app that is designed to lighten the load for parents, epitomising how engineering can be an incredibly creative and impactful discipline. After gathering feedback from other parents, Turner teamed up with a spinout from Brunel University to apply for grants and begin developing Kiki. The app extracts and processes information from various formats, such as school emails and newsletters, and organises it into a family calendar and bite-sized snippets in a feed. Unlike traditional apps that require frequent user interactions, Kiki offers what Turner calls “invisible assistance.” Parents can check in weekly to see an overview of events, information and tasks, with notifications highlighting urgent updates. With a focus on user-centred design and a clear mission, Turner is transforming how parents navigate the challenges of modern family life.