Timeline
5 Weeks
Team
Team of Two
Toolkit
Figma, Miro, Zoom
Role
User Experience Research, UI/UX Design, Prototyping
Canada’s senior population is rapidly increasing, and with it, the prevalence of mental health challenges among people aged 60+ has grown significantly.
To address these challenges, we conducted research and uncovered the following: Physical deterioration in seniors reduces their social networks, leading to social isolation and an increased risk of depression.
To visualize the problem space and prioritize features, I created a problem framework connecting physical limitations to reduced social engagement and mental health challenges.
I conducted a competitive analysis of senior-focused hobby and wellness apps and discovered two major shortcomings:
Most apps do not adequately address seniors’ emotional and social needs.
Many platforms fail to consider seniors' physical limitations, limiting their engagement and utility.
These findings highlighted the need for a more accessible and emotionally supportive digital platform tailored to seniors.
To ensure the app addresses seniors’ challenges, I mapped identified problems to corresponding needs.
Synthesizing research provided by my team, I extracted a significant insight: As seniors age, physical discomfort often limits their social activities, leading to more time spent alone and heightened feelings of loneliness and psychological distress.
Recognizing this, I defined a central design question to guide our solution:
To address seniors’ cognitive and social engagement needs, I designed the Accessible Hobby Exploration and Activity module, focusing on accessibility and usability throughout the process.
Research shows digital social activities can reduce loneliness among seniors by up to 30%. This feature directly addresses seniors' emotional and cognitive needs, helping them rebuild social networks and enhance overall well-being.
Through this project, I learned to:
○ Translate research insights into actionable, user-focused design goals.
○ Know the "why" behind each design decision, backed by research insights
○ Prioritize accessibility and usability to create inclusive, user-centred solutions for diverse audiences.
○ Conduct usability testing with at least ten seniors to validate and refine the app’s accessibility and navigation.
○ Experiment with specific hobbies tailored to seniors' preferences and physical abilities, enriching the app's content and engagement options.
○ Expand the app's functionality to include caregiver integration, allowing family members or caregivers to participate in the experience and support seniors' well-being.
