01 / COGNITIONThink. Perceive. Remember.
02 / EXPERIENCEFeel. Sense. Interpret.
03 / BODYRhythms. Signals. Change.
04 / CONTEXTDecide. Act. Relate.
THE PERSON IS THE STARTING POINT.
COGNITIVE INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPMENT
Intelligence starts
with the human.
How does a person feel, think, decide and act?
We start there. Then we design the data and the intelligence.
COGNITIVE SCIENCE → HUMAN MEASUREMENT → APPLIED AILED BY BENAN D. ALLAN, PhD
01 / HUMAN UNDERSTANDINGStart with
Start with
the person.
What is changing within this person, over time?
Define the experience and the question. History, context and the person’s own account give the signals meaning.
02 / OBSERVATIONChoose what
Choose what
to observe.
Signals are selected because they might help answer the human question.
Trackers, tasks and self-reports provide different views. We decide what to collect, when, and under which conditions.
03 / MEASUREMENT & ANALYSISGive the data
Give the data
meaning.
An observation becomes a useful variable through definition and validation.
Keep context attached. Compare patterns, account for missing information, and test what the measurement can support.
04 / SYSTEM INTELLIGENCEBuild around
Build around
the evidence.
Contextual insights that account for a person’s baseline.
Translate the scientific logic into a product with engineering. Keep uncertainty visible and evaluate the experience in use.
LIVED EXPERIENCEINDIVIDUAL HISTORYCONTEXTPHYSIOLOGY
THE QUESTION
What does change mean for this person?
Signal
Context attachedSignal
Context attachedWithin-person change
Defined in context
Within-person change
Defined in context
Within-person change
Defined in context
ValidateReliability · context
uncertainty
MEANING + DEFINITION + EVIDENCEuncertainty
SYSTEM OUTPUT↗
HEALTH & WELLBEINGA personal
pattern.
Interpret change relative to the individual, with tracking context and uncertainty.
Evidence informs.People decide.
SCROLL TO FOLLOW THE STORY ↓
01 / THE APPROACH
Before there is data,
there is a person.
A pause can be hesitation, distraction or careful thought. A faster heartbeat can follow effort, excitement or stress. The meaning depends on the person and the situation.
Our work connects cognitive science with system design: define the human question, decide what could represent it, test the measurement, and build around what the evidence supports.
The method travels across domains. The variables, models and decisions are designed for each system.
Understand
The person, the experience and the question worth asking.
Human phenomenonDefine
Give the concept a measurable meaning in its context.
Measurement frameworkObserve
Choose signals, trackers, tasks and self-reports.
Contextual observationsRepresent
Create variables that preserve the meaning of the signal.
Human variablesAnalyze
Test patterns, uncertainty, validity and predictive value.
Supported evidenceBuild
Work with engineering to create useful, bounded intelligence.
System intelligence↳ EVALUATE IN USE. RETURN TO THE HUMAN QUESTION. REFINE.
02 / EXPLORE HUMAN DATA
What makes us human.
What we can measure.
Follow a human question through the scientific and computational workflow.
CHOOSE A DIMENSION
Illustrative measurement designs.
Each project requires its own validation.
HUMAN → DATA → INTELLIGENCECognition
Thinking & attention
What helps someone focus, understand and learn?
- HUMAN QUESTION
- Attention, memory, perception and cognitive effort during a specific task.
- OBSERVATIONS
- Task responses, eye movements, response times and self-reported effort; EEG or fMRI in a suitable research setting.
- VARIABLES
- Response latency, error patterns, gaze allocation and task-specific effort ratings.
- ANALYSIS
- Compare task conditions, check reliability and test how indicators relate to performance.
- INTELLIGENCE
- Adapt pacing, explanation or task difficulty to evidence about the learner.
Gaze duration or a brain signal does not directly reveal attention or understanding. Interpretation requires context and validation.
WAYS OF OBSERVING
Self-reports & interviews · Digital behavior · Wearables & trackers · Speech & interaction · Physiological signals · EEG, fMRI & eye-tracking
03 / INTELLIGENCE FOR EACH SYSTEM
The same signal.
A different question.
A system becomes useful when its measurements, model and response fit the person and the purpose.
Health & wellbeing
Combine longitudinal physiological signals with symptoms and lived experience.
FROM → TO
Temperature + cycle history
→ contextual prediction
Learning & coaching
Understand attention, preference and engagement within a learning journey.
FROM → TO
Interaction + feedback
→ adaptive recommendations
Everyday decisions
Connect goals, constraints and behavior to support a useful next step.
FROM → TO
Intent + patterns + context
→ personalized support
Context stays attached. A variable needs a definition, a source and a reason to exist.
Uncertainty stays visible. Associations and estimates have limits.
People keep agency. The system supports decisions and respects consent.
04 / APPLIED WORK
From scientific questions
to products people use.
Understanding change
within a person.
Biomarkers, symptoms and hormonal context inform personalized health insights. Individual baselines help give change meaning.
Women’s health intelligenceTurning a food log
into useful guidance.
A child’s age and nutritional needs shape how food entries are represented and how next-food suggestions are designed.
Explore TinyTaste ↗Making progress
personal.
Goal structure, behavior and feedback inform plans and check-ins that adapt to the person’s journey.
Explore AIM ↗Giving a transcript
more context.
Cognitive frameworks organize conversational evidence into indicators of intent, uncertainty and decision patterns.
Private beta · conversation intelligencePREVIOUS SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIPStardust · CoachHub · Humaine AI · H-Farm
Full portfolio ↗05 / WORK TOGETHER
Bring the human question.
We’ll build from there.
For founders and teams developing intelligent products, with particular experience in women’s health, families and learning.
01
Scientific consultation
Clarify the question, the signals to collect and what your system can responsibly infer.
02Discuss a project ↗
Measurement to intelligent product
Design variables, analysis and predictive logic, then take the scientific requirements into engineering and delivery.
03Work together ↗
Embedded science & AI leadership
Scientific direction, model review and interdisciplinary leadership as your product develops.
06 / THE SCIENTIST BEHIND CID
Benan D. Allan, PhD
Cognitive Scientist | Human-Centered AI Leader
My work begins with how humans experience the world. I define what should be measured, create variables that preserve the meaning of a human signal, and work with engineers to turn evidence into intelligent products.
Across 11+ years, I have worked in cognitive science, behavioral research, women’s health AI, personalization and immersive technology. My PhD in Brain, Mind and Computer Science was at the University of Padova, with visiting research at the University of Edinburgh.
You work directly with me. When a project needs additional specialists, we build the right team around it.
More about Benan ↗LET’S START WITH YOUR QUESTION
What are you trying
to understand?
benan@cogdev.ai ↗A conversation about your people, your product and what the intelligence needs to do.