Value Proposition
Deliver a senior-friendly chat tool that prioritizes ease of use and provides a simple and intuitive interface for seniors to connect with their family and friends. This chat tool should be designed with the specific needs and preferences of seniors in mind, ensuring that it is accessible and user-friendly.
The goals will be on simplicity, intuitiveness, and providing assistance for phone settings when needed. The user interface will be designed to be easily understandable and navigate, ensuring a seamless experience for seniors.
Feature Overview
Senior comes to the app they can make simple choices. they can focus on how they connect with their loves.
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Simple interface
Users don't need to read on the phone screen with small text, the "screen reader" could read it to them. We commanded them to decrease their dexterity and make it easy for them to hit the button.
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Senior-friendly feature
Remote admin
"Remote Admin" function is able to have someone they trusted family member to support them to use the app by giving them control.
3
Research
Secondary Research
During my market research, I turned to Google for assistance in understanding senior technology trends and the top challenges they face when using technology. This research allowed me to gather valuable insights that would inform my design decisions going forward. Here are some key findings:
preferences of seniors regarding technology
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Seniors and Smartphone Ownership: 79% of individuals between the ages of 50 and 64 own smartphones, while 53% of those aged 65 and older also possess smartphones.
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Social Media Usage: 40% of individuals aged 65 and older utilize social media platforms. Among senior social media users, 46% prefer Facebook, 38% engage with YouTube, 8% utilize Instagram, 7% use Twitter.
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Problem-Solving Mindset: Seniors who perceive technology as a means to solve problems or fulfill needs are more likely to invest time in learning new things. This finding suggests that emphasizing the practical benefits of technology could encourage seniors to embrace and engage with it.
Top Challenges for Seniors Using Technology
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Decreased Visual Functions: As individuals age, their visual capabilities may decline, making it harder for them to read small text or view certain graphical elements on digital devices.
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Skepticism and Intimidation: Older adults may respond to technological advancements with skepticism and feel intimidated by new devices or software.
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Learning Preferences: Seniors often learn best through one-on-one and hands-on tutorials.
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Information Overload: The vast amount of content and the speed at which information is presented can be overwhelming and challenging to navigate, potentially hindering their overall experience.
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Adaptation and Behavior Change: In addition to physical and health-related factors, seniors may require support in adapting to new behaviors associated with using gadgets and digital tools.
Competitive Analysis
After conducting in-depth industry research, I decided to delve deeper into the landscape of senior chat app competitors and the services they provide to users. It was crucial to identify their respective strengths and weaknesses. Based on my comprehensive market research, I have identified several top direct and indirect competitors within the industry. Here is an overview:
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Simple interface
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Focus on entertainment and communication areas which seniors are interested in.
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Use of superior technology
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Secure Messaging
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Huge customer base
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User-Friendly Interface
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Wide Adoption
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An excellent user experience
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Large user base with many active users
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Having more than 900 million active users
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All-in-One Platform
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Easy for business
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Diverse Features
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Broad Accessibility
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Seamless Integration
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Strong Market Presence
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Up to 10 users
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Users need to pay for it
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Advertisements and Distractions
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Data privacy problem
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Complexity
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Limited Social Networking Features
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Dependency on Phone Numbers
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Group Chat Limitations
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Security and Privacy Concerns
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Language and Geographic Limitations
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Complex Interface
Primary Research
We conducted casual interviews with 10 individuals to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences. While interview helped us identify pain points, it was through these personal stories that we were able to establish a genuine sense of empathy towards our users. These real stories provided valuable insights, allowing us to define potential use cases and create user experience flows that truly catered to their needs.
Sharing pics with friends
Grandma lives alone and finds solace in her favorite hobby: gardening. It brings her immense joy, and she takes pride in cultivating a beautiful garden. To share her gardening achievements with friends and family, she often captures and shares pictures of her blooming flowers and lush greenery.
Talk to family members on holidays
With her family members scattered across different states, Grandma yearns to see all of them during the holidays. However, navigating technology can be a challenge for her. In order to participate in virtual gatherings, such as Zoom meetings, Grandma requires assistance to join the calls.
Group chat with friends
Yunhu enjoys going fishing with his friends, but coordinating their schedules can be a bit challenging. To overcome this hurdle, they decide to create a group chat specifically for scheduling fishing trips. This group chat allows them to discuss and coordinate the best times for fishing when all the members are available.
User Personas
Based on the findings from our questionnaire, we discovered that users' requirements for the app are closely tied to their individual health situations. As a result, we have chosen to create two user personas that represent distinct groups of potential users. These personas will help us better understand and cater to the needs of our target audience.
What kind of chat app do you like?
"as simple as it can be."
Goals
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To enjoy her retired life.
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To share in her kids' lives through visits and chats.
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To share her moments with her friends and family members.
Challenges
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Frustration with complicated app interfaces.
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Difficulty reading text in apps.
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Memory difficulties in app usage.
Retired Nurse
Betty
What kind of chat app do you like?
"easy to use for seniors."
Goals
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To enjoy his retirement.
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To have good chats with his daughter.
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To chat with his fishing group.
Challenges
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Frustration with complicated User Experiences (UX).
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Difficulty reading small and illegible text.
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Difficulty hearing message notifications.
Retired Engineer
Yunhu
Betty represents a group of seniors who commonly face specific challenges associated with aging. This may include mobility limitations, memory issues, or chronic health conditions. Understanding Betty's needs and pain points will enable us to develop features and functionalities that address these common problems experienced by elders.
Yunhu represents a group of seniors who have visual impairments or hearing disorders. This group requires special considerations in terms of accessibility and user interface design. By focusing on Yunhu's specific needs, such as text-to-speech functionality or high contrast visuals, we can ensure that the app is inclusive and accessible for seniors with visual or hearing impairments.
Research Findings
Operational
1. Most apps are too complicated to use.
2. There are too many features, which can be difficult to understand.
3. Seniors must spend a long time learning to use the app.
Psychological
1. Most seniors are not familiar with new technology products. That can make them frustrated.
2. Most seniors will continue to use apps they are familiar with, rather than undergo a learning curve with a new app.
3. They feel embarrassed to ask for help repeatedly.
Convenience
1. Seniors tend to forget things easily, even after learning once to use the app.
2. Seniors can easily forget the function of an icon.
Ideate
Brainstorm
Brainstorming sessions are an effective way to generate ideas and explore different concepts as a team. By starting with the question of "What features may we have?" and engaging in collaborative discussions, we can define design directions for your product.
Here are some examples of our discussions:
Based on our brainstorm, and towards our goal to build a senior friendly chat app, what features are necessary for seniors?
Scenario #1 Forgot how to change the app settings
Remote admin assistant – In this case, users need help changing the app settings. With remote assistance, they won’t be limited by time and location.
Scenario #2 Complicated app interface
In the scenario of seniors struggling with a complicated app interface, the focus should be on simplifying the necessary features and avoiding unnecessary complexity. Here are some important features to consider for a senior-friendly chat app: streamlined user interface, clear and readable text, minimal feature set, guided onboarding and tutorials, customizable settings, contextual help and support, regular updates and bug fixes.
If we are going to build a chat app, do we need to include all social media features in the app?
No, Including all social media features in a chat app is not necessary and may even be overwhelming for seniors. It's important to consider the specific needs and preferences of the target user group when deciding which features to include. In the development of the Senior Chat App, prioritizing simplicity and avoiding potential confusion is crucial to addressing the challenges faced by seniors.
User flow
Now I wanted to dive even deeper and get a better understanding of the overall journey the user would be taking throughout the app from start to finish. I wanted to better empathize with the scenario the user may be in, different decisions they would be making, and the different paths they might take to complete the key tasks I identified. To do this, I created a user flow to step into users’ shoes.
Design
Low-fi wireframe
Visual Design
1. Creating a mood board
In order to create high-fidelity screens, I needed to first establish the brand's vision. My aim was for the appessence of communicating with loved ones and friends, by providing a friendly and warm user experience. To achieve this, the app's design needed to be intuitive and inviting for seniors.
2. Developing a logo that that reflects brand attributes
This chosen logo best conveys the idea of a bridge between family and friends. I use saffron to represent warm, happy, and relaxed brand attributes. However, the colors were only finalized after ensuring they created accessible combinations.
Saffron
Pure white
# F6C850
# FFFFFF
3. Choosing a typography that is on-brand
Font family
SF Pro
Bold SemiBold Regular
4. Establishing icons
Weather
Icons
The usability testing was conducted in two rounds with 5 participants each round consisting of 4 moderated tests and 1 unmoderated. In between each round of testing, I made improvements to the design to address the issues identified. The participants for the tests were chosen on the premise that they were more likely to use my app. From the two rounds of testing, there were 3 key findings:
Early designs onlyallowed for sending text and voice messages. After the usability studies, I added "text reader" and "zoom" features. I also replaced the small “send” button with a bigger red button.
Yellow and white failed the color contract check, so I used yellow and black instead. I also replaced the modern icon with the more realistic one.
Early designs had standard settings, but after the usability studies, I added "SOS" and "Screen reader" features. SOS allows users to ask for help from a specific contact. Screen reader will read content for the user.
Final Product
What I Learned...
Designing the senior chat app taught me valuable lessons about creating technology for older adults. I learned the importance of considering their unique needs and preferences when designing user interfaces. It highlighted the significance of incorporating clear and intuitive features, using larger text and icons for better readability, and providing options for adjustable font sizes. I also gained insights into the importance of thoughtful user testing and feedback from seniors to improve the app's usability. Overall, this experience deepened my understanding of inclusive design principles and reinforced the importance of creating technology that is accessible and enjoyable for all users.
