Sidekick Interactive - Experts in custom digital tools for researchers

Our Process

We mix our technological expertise with research interests by accompanying and equipping researchers in their projects.

Committed to working with
researchers since 2017

Sidekick ensures the support of researchers and the monitoring of their projects, standing out by adopting a participatory, customized work methodology designed to fit the research context.

Sidekick supports research and development activities with numerous collaborations since 2017, notably with CIUSSS-EMTL, CRIUGM and Université de Montréal.

Development of customized tools and platforms

Partner of choice for researchers in the development of digital tools with high added-value.

Sidekick co-creates custom software solutions that facilitate research by enabling the achievement of set objectives. Mostly, we seek to create user-friendly tools that will be used and adopted by patients, and that will allow researchers to obtain rich data.

Our Projects

Adapting to the needs of research projects

Adapting to the funding requirements of research projects.

Adapting to researcher’s schedule (deliverables, budget, ethics committee…).

Methodology adapted to the researchers’.

Facilitating integration with existing data systems and software.

Adopting a methodological approach to research: qualitative studies, focus groups and meetings with target users.

Our Process

Support with funding activities

Sidekick will act as a technology partner to support researchers as they apply for funding and grants. We help establish and justify technology budgets to funding committees in partnership with researchers.

Regardless of the budget, Sidekick will work with researchers to create an effective digital tool with a focus on speed of development, timeliness and adaptation to funding capabilities.

Sidekick is a partner of Medteq, an industrial consortium for research and innovation in medical technologies and a research project funder.

Agile and flexible methodology: fast development, step by step

The agile work method allows for a step-by-step vision and validation of the project, allowing for the efficient validation of each of its components for the construction of a tool that is as solid, well thought-out and high value-added as possible. This participative and tailor-made working method adapts to the needs of the researcher by ensuring a permanent collaboration and by allowing to progress rapidly by including him in all the decisions of the project. A quality control and testing phase is carried out at the end of each stage to avoid any unpleasant surprises and ensure the effectiveness of the final product. Even if the project has to stop for a while, each validated step having allowed to create solid bases and functionalities, the project can be resumed and modified at any time.

Details of Our Methodology

Our methodology adapted to research projects

IDEA/RESEARCH PROJECT

Sidekick gathers information from the researcher and creates technical documentation detailing the project. The definition of the solution is done in partnership between Sidekick and the researcher to ensure that the research objectives are met while respecting the budget and other constraints.

DEFINE & MODEL - Conceptualization, design, validation, planning

Sidekick works in tandem with the researcher to co-create the solution, including architecture, compliance, and user experience. We prepare everything up front, so that the software development is as efficient as possible.

Co-creation workshops

Technology validation

User experience

Design validation

Planning

TECHNICAL - Agile development

Developers program the features of the digital tool, sprint by sprint, at the researcher's pace, until they are all completed.

Sprints planning

Development

Quality assurance

Demo

QUALITY ASSURANCE - Test

Sidekick tests the project using the test plan created upstream, as well as validating the interface, functionality, and integration aspects. When dealing with sensitive data, the focus is on security testing.

LAUNCH - Deployment

Sidekick will deploy the tool to meet your project objectives. Several options are available, and we will work with your team to understand the best strategy for deployment and to support you during the research project.

They trust us with
their research projects

When I contacted Sidekick, our project had stalled for a while. Sidekick provided us with a thorough assessment of the issues and offered solutions that fit our budget. Without their support, we would never have been able to launch our app to support children with developmental disabilities.

Marc Lanovaz

Researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Montreal

They were able to accompany us and pass on their knowledge to give us confidence in our project. We were able to think together to create the best possible tools to meet our needs. Their sharing and follow-up throughout the project allowed us to move forward step by step with a clear vision of the objectives and an optimal control of the project costs.

Ana Inès Ansaldo

Director of the Laboratory of Brain Plasticity, Communication and Aging at the Research Centre of the University Institute of Geriatrics of Montreal

The collaboration with Sidekick came at the right time to re-launch our project. They allowed us to highlight certain needs and solidify the bases of our project with their support and their clear documentation. Their listening and their technical knowledge allowed us to complete the existing project then thanks to our exchanges we were able to improve it and feed it with new contents and functionalities.

Réal Labelle

Psychologist, Researcher and Full Professor at the University of Montreal

Sidekick Interactive delivered an engaging application that received unanimously positive feedback, especially in regards to its UX/UI design. The team excelled at conveying their technological knowledge in an educational manner. The team was open-minded and willing to adapt to our realities and pace.

Isabelle Ouellet-Morin

PhD in Psychology, Researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Montreal

The workshop day with the Sidekick team was extremely stimulating. It allowed a great deal of freedom in the creation of ideas, extracting the expertise of each person and juggling brainstorming methods. It demonstrated once again that collective intelligence always generates more results than individual expertise.

Pierrich Plusquellec

Researcher and Associate Professor at the University of Montreal

Some projects
we have built

+Strong

Mobile App

Accompany and equip young victims of bullying by establishing an action plan to better deal with bullying situations.

The user also has access to video resources to help them better manage situations.

The application also invites the user to ask for help around them, and to start a conversation with a trusted adult.

Pharmalliance

Mobile App & Web Platform

Better involve pharmacists in the treatment of depression.

The mobile application and the web platform are linked. The user (the patient) sends data to the pharmacist’s web platform via his mobile application.

Thus, the pharmacist can follow the patient’s treatment, side effects and psychological state in real time.

A project that brings together pharmacists and people suffering from depression.

PA-DTI

iPad App

Improve access to evidence-based teaching practices for children with developmental disabilities (autism, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays).

Based on studies in applied behavior analysis, educators, teachers, and psychoeducators can use PA-DTI to teach matching and responsive identification to children with developmental disabilities.

The application uses discrete trial learning to teach 24 different programs (e.g., objects, colors, emotions, numbers, letters).

Why not take a few minutes to discuss your research project with us?