BxObs Assessment Assistant Applet
Observation Tool for Psychologists
Context
BxObs (behavior observation) gives practicing psychologists the ability to collect observation data in real-time while streamlining the process for data analysis and reporting. The BxObs Applet is a companion to the Assessment Assistant Tool Developed by Cerebral Code.
Problem
Collecting and analyzing behavior data is often slow and inefficient, especially with outdated methods like paper forms and spreadsheets. Existing digital tools are often not user-friendly or tailored to professional workflows, making it difficult for psychologists to efficiently track progress, share results, and validate interventions. This increases administrative burden and reduces time for student support.
Solution
A streamlined, intuitive data collection resource is needed to empower psychologists to gather accurate, actionable data, and enhance the effectiveness of their services.
Role
UX Design
Timeline
1 month, June 2025
Skills
UX Research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Design system management
Component design
Tools
Figma
Google Material Design 3 Design System
BxObs (Behavior Observation Tool)
The BxObs Applet was designed to meet or exceed the effectiveness of existing observation protocols and applications. Developed using the core tenets of sampling as outlined by American Clinical Psychologist Jerome Sattler, each feature is a derivative of a sampling method best practice based on the outcomes of empirical research.
Trusted By Professional Practitioners
The BxObs Applet uses AI to generate concise, reports and visual charts that can be easily exported, making key insights easy to share and understand.
These streamlined outputs support functional behavior assessments, intervention planning, and progress monitoring—saving time, improving accuracy, and enhancing collaboration for school psychologists.
Overview
Uses
Data Analysis
Systematic observational data analysis such as teacher-student interactions—to identify best practices.
Quantify Student Behavior
Track engagement, compliance, and appropriateness.
Gather Evidence
Collect evidence to identify disordered external or adaptive behaviors.
Train Observers
Increase familiarity with coding systems and observation techniques.
Norming
Develop “local norms” for schools or districts, increasing identification fidelity.
Limitations
There are some inherent limitations of direct observational methods in the field of behavior analysis.
Observer Competency
Observers need to be trained in the use of a coding system.
Limited Variables
It is not possible to track every variable that plays a role in behavioral interactions at once.
Limited Data
Data collected over the course of a few observations may still be insufficient to perform quality statistical analyses that yield reliable and valid conclusions.
Competition
This analysis provided insights into features currently available on comparable platforms and highlighted areas for potential improvement within the BxObs tool.
Most popular
Comprehensive methods
Longest operating
iOS exclusive
Outdated
No clear research base
Poor user experience
Behavior Observation Made Easy -
Comprehensive methods
Multiplatform
Recently released
Fair research base
Fair user experience
What the Research Tells Us
Users need utility and efficiency
Each observation method varied in complexity from basic to advanced. Through interviews with clinical and school psychologists, I identified key pain points that disrupt accuracy, efficiency, and ease of use for observation and reporting workflows.
It’s difficult to accurately observe and record behaviors during interval sampling without a visible timer, especially when you can’t see elapsed time.
Observation sessions become stressful and error-prone when you cannot “nudge” or adjust the timer to match real situations, forcing manual corrections that interrupt focus.
Not having a pause button means observers struggle to document unforeseen interruptions, leading to incomplete or inaccurate data.
Without a clear display of both elapsed and remaining time, it’s hard to pace observations and know when intervals begin or end, reducing reliability.
Exporting graphs and AI-generated summaries to reports is time-consuming and requires repetitive manual steps, preventing a smooth workflow and increasing the chance of errors.
Psychometric Considerations
I collaborated closely with licensed experts in to ensure alignment with industry best practices. Rather than developing a new system, I implemented validated features from established observational coding frameworks such as the Revised Edition of the School Observation Coding System (REDSOCS).
Since REDSOCS lacks explicit definitions of appropriate behaviors, a team of teachers and school psychology students developed categories.
Engaged in lesson
Working
Waiting
Following directions
Playing
Social interaction
Our user flow balances simplicity and functionality by avoiding overwhelming users with excessive options while preserving sufficient clinical utility.
Starting a New Observation
Open a new observation
Choose a method
Define meta information
Begin observation
Exporting Observation Reports
Finish observation
Review or export data at-a-glance
Generate AI report
Export to case report
Google Material Design 3
Design Kit
Google’s official M3 Design Kit in Figma was selected for it's adaptable guidelines and flexible components ensuring product consistency with Cerebral Code's Assessment Assistant Tool and with user accessibility needs.
Breathing Life into Design
Prototyping and Testing
I used adjustable components to build wireframes for each screen in the design before prototyping. The prototype includes the most common observation methods used by psychology specialists.
Antecedent Behavior Consequence (ABC) Observation Tool
The ABC Observation component is designed to allow users to quickly record the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences observed during student interactions, with just a few taps.
Features include
Real-time data entry
Customizable behavior categories
Time-stamped observations
Ability to track multiple students or behaviors simultaneously
Frequency Observation Tool
The Frequency Observation tool allows users to track how often specific student behaviors occur during classroom observations.
Features include
Quickly record each instance of a target behavior with a tap or click
Automatically add time-stamps entries
Track multiple behaviors or students simultaneously.
Narrative Observation Tool
Efficiently record detailed, open-ended descriptions of student behavior and classroom interactions.
Streamlines note-taking
Organizes narrative entries by student or session
Enables easy export of observations for reporting and analysis.
Interval Observation Tool
The Interval Observation Tool enables efficient tracking of student behaviors by prompting users at set time intervals to record whether target behaviors are occurring.
Customizable intervals
Real-time alerts
Easy data entry
Multiple behaviors or students to be observed simultaneously.
Impact
20% Efficiency Increase from Better Data Discovery
Conclusion
Lessons Learned
At Cerebral Code, I sharpened technical skills like micro-interaction design and component edits. More importantly, I learned to translate complex behavioral needs into usable interfaces while navigating real-time data challenges. Cross-functional collaboration deepened my problem-solving, empathy, and interdisciplinary communication skills, boosting both my technical and research fluency.
Future Development
The tool should allow users to choose between coding systems that match their observational goals. Users will be able to select additional coding systems to view behavior through different lenses. This improvement will increase the scope of the tool beyond simple behavior quantification and externalizing disorder identification.