An app to facilitate a safe and social connection between the elderly and younger people in their urban neighborhood.
OVERVIEW
Our team settled on the concept of helping elderly neighbors in our communities. We had seen this population suffer greatly from isolation during Covid, and after some initial research we discovered just how vulnerable this group really is.
ROLE, SCOPE & CONSTRAINTS
This was a one week-long hackathon, it included all research, wireframes, and prototyping for a mobile app. My role in the team involved all aspects of research, UI and UX.
APPROACH
We utilized the “double diamond” UX process to develop an overall plan. With quick iterations based on user testing, we were able to adjust the project as we worked over the week.
Usability Tests: 2 Rounds of Testing with 7 Users, one on wireframes and one on hi fidelity prototype
Using an agile workflow, we created fast iterations based on user research and testing (using Maze).
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
The statistics were overwhelming. A quarter of people over 65 report social isolation. We did not find one service that matches volunteers with the elderly on a social level. There are paid services that tend to the physical health of the elderly, but nothing that focuses on the simplicity of company and someone to talk with.
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We went ahead and researched what apps or websites people use to match up for social purposes. We knew there were some great volunteering services out there such as the Boy's and Girl's Club and other meet up apps that paired people with each other such as BumbleBFF. We were able to conduct an extensive competitive and comparative study. We were really interested in the Boys and Girls Club because we knew their vetting procedure would be vigorous due to kids being involved.
BOOKING & CONTACT
There were 3 main categories we focused on: 1. Security, 2. Compatibility and 3. Tone
Again, we really needed to make sure the vetting would be as in-depth as the Girls & Boys Club.
We looked at ways to successfully match the senior and volunteer up with common interests.
We loved the tone of the BumbleBFF app, the voice and look was warm, friendly and genuine.
BOOKING & CONTACT
From our research we created a persona. Because we only had a week, we decided to create a persona from the perspective of the volunteer.
BOOKING & CONTACT
Our problem statement evolved to the following: Users need a way to easily locate and connect with the elderly in their neighborhood to provide companionship in a safe and secure environment.
DESIGN
We started with a userflow. One from the volunteers perspective (the buddy) and the other from the senior (or his/her carer).
BOOKING & CONTACT
We iterated on sketches, and then a wireframe.
We wanted a logo and tone that was suited to both the elderly and the volunteer. After a lot of refining we landed on a logo and general look and feel of the app.
As the fidelity of our design increased we created some Smart Animate features to add depth to the design such as the mileage setter, above.
TESTING & NEXT STEPS
We had 2 rounds of user testing, one for the low fidelity wireframe and one for the hi-fidelity. We discovered an issue that we resolved for the final prototype.
The scroll option in the compatibility section was not easy to realize. The users wanted to see all options at once instead of the scroll hiding them. As you can see below, we rectified this issue by creating a grid to replace the scroll.
Now that the high fidelity from the volunteer's side is complete, we would like to develop the side from the senior's perspective.
