A User Research Project
// 2025
CONTEXT
Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Senior Well-Being
Seeking a break from screen time one day, I observed a group of senior residents during a walk, all without phones—a stark contrast to our digitally-driven world. Upon one of them recognizing me, I went over for a quick chat, which is when I learned their lack of use wasn’t necessarily disinterest, but a feeling of being overwhelmed by technology’s complexity.
In this day and age, we rely on our phones for almost everything, whether it’s for setting alarms, taking notes, storing memories in the form of images, or videos, etc. It made me wonder out loud what they rely on, especially those of them living alone. Just as I asked the question, one of them exclaimed they‘d forgotten their cholesterol medicine after lunch! To me, this immediately highlighted the critical need for solutions that support the well-being and independence of seniors.
This project aims to leverage UX principles to create a meaningful digital tool for seniors—one that empowers without overwhelming.
THE PROBLEM
When Technology Leaves Seniors Behind
Despite the increasing availability of digital health and wellness tools, many seniors find themselves excluded from the benefits due to several key issues, including overly complex interfaces that don't account for age-related limitations, a lack of engaging (but simplified) features beyond basic health monitoring, the pervasive threat of online scams without accessible protection, and a resulting dependence on caregivers for technology use.
Understanding the Foundational Needs and Challenges of Seniors
My interactions with seniors highlighted several of these foundational needs and challenges firsthand, particularly the feeling of being overwhelmed by technology. Further research reinforced several core interconnected issues faced by seniors, which can be broadly categorized as the following:
Physical Health & Independence
Polypharmacy & Chronic Conditions: Managing multiple medications and complex health needs significantly impacts daily independence and well-being.
Reduced Mobility & Sensory Impairments: Physical limitations and sensory decline complicate daily tasks and access to information, making accessible digital health tools crucial.
Transportation Barriers to Healthcare: Difficulty accessing healthcare services underscores the need for remote or easily managed health-related support.
Cognitive Well-being & Daily Functioning
Memory Decline & Task Management: Age-related cognitive changes impact the ability to remember important tasks and medication.
Slower Processing & Difficulty Adapting: Complex technology can intensify cognitive challenges, highlighting the need for simple, adaptable interfaces.
Impact of Isolation on Cognition: Loneliness can worsen cognitive decline, making tools that facilitate engagement indirectly relevant.
Safety & Security in a Changing World
Vulnerability to Scams & Financial Strain: Seniors are prime targets for scams, threatening their financial security and overall well-being.
Increased Risk of Home Accidents: While not solely digital, reminders and routines supported by technology can indirectly contribute to safety.
Fear of Technology & Misinformation: Anxiety about technology hinders adoption of safety tools and makes seniors susceptible to online misinformation.
Barriers to Technology Adoption
Digital Literacy Gap: Lack of familiarity and comfort with technology prevents seniors from utilizing potentially helpful digital tools.
Accessibility Issues with Existing Technology: Poor design (small text, complex navigation) makes technology unusable for many seniors.
Lack of Support & Training: Insufficient guidance and assistance further widen the digital divide.
Social & Emotional Well-being
Social Isolation & Loneliness: Reduced social interaction negatively impacts mental and physical health.
Increased Risk of Depression & Anxiety: Often linked to loss of independence, health issues, and isolation.
Loss of Purpose & Identity: Can be worsened by the inability to engage in previous activities or learn new skills (like using technology).
THE PROJECT IDEA
Envisioning an Empowering Solution
This research project aims to investigate the needs and challenges seniors face daily, and explore the current technological landscape designed to support them, ultimately informing the design of a user-friendly mobile app concept focused on empowering seniors to manage key aspects of their well-being: their health, safety, and cognitive function. By focusing on these core areas through in-depth research, this project seeks to lay the groundwork for an effective and user-centered digital tool for seniors.
Why Health, Safety, and Cognitive Function?
Targeting health, safety and cognitive function is important for several key reasons:
1. Addresses Core, High-Impact Needs: These three areas are significant pain points for seniors—forgetting medication directly impacts health, vulnerability to scams threatens financial and emotional well-being, and age-related cognitive changes affect daily functioning and independence.
2. Directly Responds to User Needs: User interview and focus group findings confirm that seniors face challenges in these domains. They expressed anxieties about medication errors, concerns about online safety, and a desire for accessible ways to maintain cognitive sharpness.
3. Creates a Focused and Manageable Solution: Developing a comprehensive app with a wide array of features from the beginning could be overwhelming for both the designers, as well as the target users. Concentrating on fewer, core features would result in a more focused, manageable, and effective initial product, allowing me to deeply understand and cater to these needs before potentially expanding to other areas.
4. Capitalizes on Clear Opportunities: An analysis of existing solutions reveals a gap in the market for a unified platform that seamlessly integrates these three critical needs with a senior-centric design. Many existing apps focus on one area in isolation, or lack the accessibility and simplicity required.
For seniors, successfully managing one's health, staying safe, and maintaining cognitive function are fundamental to independence and a sense of control. Concentrating on these aspects allows for a targeted solution that directly addresses the most pressing needs and concerns of the target users.
THE CHALLENGE
The Complexity of Senior-Centered Design
The primary challenge lies in designing a truly effective and enjoyable user experience for seniors with diverse abilities and varying comfort levels with technology. This requires:
An intuitive, uncluttered interface, minimizing cognitive load.
Excellent readability through high contrast and large fonts.
Easy interactions accommodating motor skill limitations.
Clear instructions and support for varying digital literacy.
Building trust and demonstrating the app's value.
Seamless integration of health, safety, and cognitive features.
Adaptability to evolving (and varying) needs and threats.
Ultimately, the goal is to design a simple, engaging, and accessible mobile experience that empowers seniors to manage their health, cognitive well-being, and safety independently, without feeling overwhelmed.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Product Development Life Cycle
This project will follow the Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC), a structured approach that emphasizes iterative development and user feedback. This methodology allows for flexibility and ensures that the final app concept is deeply rooted in user needs.
Key Phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. This case study focuses on the Empathize, Define, and Ideate phases.
EMPATHIZE
Analysis of Existing Solutions
With the focus being to empower seniors to manage their health, safety, and cognitive function, I explored online resources using relevant keywords like medication reminder apps for seniors, scam detection apps for elderly, memory training apps for seniors, easy-to-use apps for seniors, etc. to analyze the landscape of mobile applications for seniors.
Many existing medication reminder apps, while offering core functionality, are not specifically tailored to the visual and cognitive limitations often experienced by seniors. This suggests an opportunity for an app with a more senior-centric interface that prioritizes readability and ease of navigation.
While technologies for scam detection are emerging, there might be a need for solutions that are simpler for less tech-savvy seniors to use and understand, focusing on clear advice and simplified, actionable steps.
Memory training apps are widely available, but their effectiveness and engagement for seniors can vary, highlighting the importance of researching the most engaging and beneficial types of memory tasks for this specific age group.
Furthermore, there appears to be a gap in the market for apps that comprehensively integrate medication management, scam warnings, and memory tasks into a single, cohesive platform designed specifically for seniors. These three areas represent critical aspects of senior well-being: following through with medication is fundamental for maintaining health and independence, seniors are disproportionately targeted by scams, impacting their financial security and emotional well-being, and supporting cognitive function is key to preserving quality of life. This initial analysis of the app landscape reinforces the challenges I observed firsthand, where seniors expressed difficulties managing medications and a general unease with the complexities of modern technology, potentially also making them more susceptible to online threats.
This highlights the usability challenges that need to be addressed when designing specifically for senior users. Also, relying on these individual apps would require seniors to navigate and manage multiple interfaces, potentially leading to increased cognitive load and frustration. An integrated solution that combines these crucial functionalities into one accessible platform could significantly reduce this stress and offer a more streamlined and empowering experience.
Addressing Potential Usability Challenges for Seniors
Elderly users may encounter several usability challenges when interacting with mobile applications. These challenges often include difficulties with navigation due to complex menus and getting lost within the app.
Readability can be hindered by small fonts and low color contrast.
Complex interactions, such as gestures and small touch targets can also pose problems.
Age-related declines in memory and attention can lead to difficulties in remembering steps and feeling overwhelmed by cluttered interfaces.
Many seniors also have limited prior experience with modern technology and gesture-based controls.
Many of these usability challenges for seniors arise from design patterns and conventions that are primarily intended for younger, more technologically proficient users. The app's design will need to intentionally deviate from these patterns wherever necessary to better accommodate senior users.
Key Findings from User Interviews
Interviews with 5 seniors aged 60-85 and 2 caregivers, revealed significant insights into their experiences with technology.
1. Complexity as a Major Barrier: A significant majority of seniors (80%, 4/5 interviewed) found existing health or memory-focused apps too complicated. Participants cited cluttered interfaces, overwhelming features, or a general feeling that these apps were not designed with their needs in mind.
2. Importance of Accessibility: All interviewed seniors (100%, 5/5) reported difficulties with small text and navigating apps with numerous small buttons. Many described needing aids like reading glasses to even see the interface, and for one senior, physical limitations made precise tapping challenging.
3. Significant Concerns Regarding Trust and Online Safety: A large majority (80%, 4/5 interviewed) expressed concerns about online scams and data privacy. This fear often led to hesitancy in adopting new apps, especially those dealing with personal information. Many felt vulnerable and lacked the knowledge to confidently identify and avoid online threats.
4. Strong Desire for Simplicity and Independence: Despite their technological challenges, all interviewed seniors expressed a strong desire to manage their health and maintain cognitive function independently, without constant reliance on family or caregivers.
5. Medication Management as an Unmet Need: Consistent with the initial observation, managing medications accurately and on time was a significant concern for seniors taking prescription drugs.
6. Reliance on Informal Support Networks: A considerable number of participants (60%, 3/5) relied on family members for technology support, highlighting a gap in user-friendly solutions that empower self-sufficiency.
7. Insights from Caregivers: Interviews with 2 caregivers emphasized the frustrations seniors experience with complex technology, leading to increased dependence.
Overall Conclusion from Findings: The research findings indicate a need for a mobile app designed specifically for seniors, prioritizing simplicity, accessibility, trust, and a focus on core well-being areas like medication management and online safety. Existing solutions often fail to meet the unique needs and limitations of this demographic, leading to frustration, dependence, and a feeling of being left behind by technology.
Key Findings from a Focus Group Discussion
To avoid bias and get a fresh perspective, I reached out to a new potential set of users for the app—seniors in my society complex who we youngsters play card games with on occasion. This familiar and relaxed environment fostered open conversation and allowed for collective feedback on technology use and potential app features. This approach allowed me to gather qualitative data through a group discussion and observe their interactions and shared challenges firsthand.
The insights from the focus group discussions expanded upon the findings from the individual interviews and research done:
1. Overwhelming Complexity and a Flood of Features: The group collectively emphasized that many apps feel overly complex due to an abundance of features they don't need or understand. Unnecessary animations, jargon, and convoluted navigation were cited as sources of frustration.
2. Shared Challenges with Visual and Motor Accessibility: The difficulty with small text and buttons was a unanimous pain point. Participants suggested solutions like adjustable font sizes, larger buttons, etc. Some also expressed interest in voice-activated navigation (but were also apprehensive because that meant learning how to work with yet another feature).
3. Collective Desire for Trust and Transparency: The group expressed a shared concern about online scams and data privacy, especially after their younger loved ones began giving them warnings about not answering unknown calls or unknown texts, or when their phones kept asking for permission for various things. They said that all they want is clear and concise information about data usage, avoiding intrusive permissions, and offering easily accessible resources on common scams and how to avoid them.
4. Emphasis on Simple and Reliable Medication Reminders: The need for straightforward and dependable medication reminders was common. Participants preferred simple alerts with clear information (medication name, dosage, time) and easy ways to confirm adherence, without complicated scheduling features.
5. Preference for Familiar and Engaging Cognitive Activities: When discussing mental engagement, the group favored familiar activities like simple card games (similar to what they already enjoy), word puzzles, and memory exercises presented in a clear and uncluttered format. It reminded them of decks of cards they grew up with where they had to memorize the order of the silhouettes of different objects, animals, things, etc. Overly complex or fast-paced "brain training" games were generally less appealing.
6. Value Placed on Practicality and Relevance: The group emphasized that a health and wellness app would be most useful if it directly addressed their daily needs, such as medication management, appointment reminders, and reliable information related to their health concerns. They were less interested in overly gamified or social features.
Overall Conclusion from Focus Groups: The focus group session provided valuable insights that largely echoed the findings from the individual interviews. The shared experiences and preferences emphasized the critical need for simplicity, accessibility, trust, and a focus on practical, relevant features in a mobile app designed for seniors. The discussions provided concrete suggestions for addressing these needs in the design process.
Key Findings from Empathy Mapping
To deeply understand the emotional and practical landscape of technology use for seniors, I conducted empathy mapping exercises based on the interview and focus group data. The goal was to move beyond statements and uncover the underlying needs, motivations, and frustrations of the users.
User Personas and Their User Journey Maps
User Stories
“As a senior managing multiple medications, I want reliable and clear audio and/or visual reminders so that I don't miss taking them, even if I have difficulty hearing my phone's alarm.”
“As a senior managing my medication schedule, I want a simple way to digitally record when I've taken each medication so that I don't have to rely on easily misplaced paper notes.”
“As a senior with vision challenges, I want the medication names and dosages to be displayed in large, easy-to-read text so that I can see them clearly.”
“As a senior following a medication regimen, I want clear dosage instructions associated with each reminder so that I know exactly how many pills to take.”
“As a senior concerned about medication adherence, I want to easily check a log of my past medication intake so that I can be sure I've taken my pills and avoid double-dosing.”
“As a senior seeking to protect myself online, I want online safety information to be presented in simple, plain language, avoiding technical jargon so that I can easily understand how to stay safe.”
“As a senior learning about online safety, I want a trustworthy and ad-free environment within the app so that I can be sure the information is reliable and not distracting.”
“As a senior wanting to avoid online scams, I want a simple, step-by-step guide on how to identify common online scams (like phishing emails and fake websites) so that I can learn practical ways to protect myself.”
“As a senior needing readily available safety advice, I want the option to easily access a list of reliable resources or tips on online safety within the app so that I can refer to them whenever I'm unsure.”
“As a senior with visual needs, I want cognitive games with large, clear text and simple layouts so that they are visually accessible and easy to navigate.”
“As a senior who prefers a comfortable pace, I want cognitive games with adjustable pacing or difficulty levels so that I can play at a speed that suits me without feeling rushed or inadequate.”
“As a senior seeking engaging mental activities, I want cognitive activities that feel relevant and stimulating for seniors so that I enjoy using them regularly.”
“As a senior interested in tracking my cognitive well-being, I want to be able to track my progress in the cognitive games and see how I'm improving over time so that I feel motivated and can monitor my cognitive function.”
“As a senior engaging with cognitive activities, I want clear and simple instructions for each activity so that I can understand how to play without getting frustrated.”
“As a senior wanting mental stimulation, I want access to a variety of cognitive activities within the app so that I can stay engaged and challenged over time.”
Accessibility Guidelines & Considerations:
The following guidelines outline key considerations across visual, cognitive, and motor domains:
Visual Accessibility: Ensuring visual clarity is of utmost importance for seniors, many of whom may experience age-related vision changes.
High Contrast Color Schemes: Employing color combinations with sufficient contrast between text and background. Adhering to WCAG AA contrast ratios (a minimum of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text).
Large and Adjustable Font Sizes: Providing a base font size that is easily legible (a minimum of 16px for body text is recommended) and allowing users to increase the text size significantly (up to 200% or more).
Clear and Simple Typography: Selecting readable, sans-serif fonts. Ensuring sufficient leading and tracking.
Use of Icons with Clear Labels: Icons should be intuitive and accompanied by clear, concise text labels. (This provides redundancy and aids understanding, especially for users who may not immediately recognize an icon's meaning.)
Avoidance of Flashing or Strobing Elements: Rapidly flashing or strobing content can be disorienting and even trigger seizures in some individuals.
Support for Screen Readers: Providing appropriate alternative text for images, ensuring compatibility with screen readers used by individuals with visual impairments.
Cognitive Accessibility: Minimizing cognitive load is essential for seniors, who may experience age-related changes in memory, attention, and processing speed.
Simple and Consistent Navigation: The app should feature a clear, logical, and consistent navigation structure. Using familiar patterns and labels helps users orient themselves and move through the app easily.
Clear and Concise Language: Using straightforward language, avoiding technical terms, and providing clear and concise instructions minimizes confusion.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps with clear guidance at each stage reduces cognitive burden.
Minimal Distractions and Clutter: The interface should be clean and uncluttered, focusing on essential information and avoiding unnecessary visual elements or animations that can be distracting.
Forgiving Design (Easy to Undo Actions): Providing mechanisms to easily undo actions (e.g., an "Undo" button) reduces anxiety and allows users to explore without fear of making irreversible errors.
Memory Aids within the App: Incorporating features that aid memory, such as a clear history of completed actions (e.g., medication log) or reminders.
Motor Accessibility: Addressing potential motor skill limitations, such as reduced dexterity or tremors, is crucial for interaction.
Large and Easily Tappable Touch Targets with Sufficient Spacing: Interactive elements, such as buttons and links, should be sufficiently large (a minimum of 44x44 pixels is a common recommendation) and adequately spaced apart to prevent accidental taps.
Clear Feedback for Interactions: Providing clear visual or auditory feedback when a user interacts with an element (e.g., a button changes color upon being pressed) helps confirm that the action has been registered.
Consideration for Alternative Input Methods: Integrating with device-level accessibility features like voice control allows users to interact with the app hands-free, providing a valuable alternative to touch-based navigation.
Avoidance of Complex Gestures: Favoring simple taps and swipes over complex multi-finger gestures or precise dragging can improve usability for users with motor skill limitations.
Support for Single-Handed Use: Designing key interactions to be easily performed with one hand can accommodate users with limited mobility in one arm or hand.
General Accessibility:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Compliance: Adhering to WCAG guidelines provides a comprehensive framework for ensuring broad accessibility across various disabilities, including those commonly experienced by seniors.
Consistency in Design: Maintaining consistency in layout, navigation, and terminology throughout the app creates a predictable and easier-to-learn experience.
Broader Impact
This project aims to contribute to the growing movement of using technology to support healthy aging and promote independence. By creating an accessible and user-friendly app, one hopes to:
Reduce feelings of vulnerability in seniors and increase their confidence in managing daily life.
Potentially bridge the digital divide by offering a positive and easy-to-use technology experience to them.
Improve medication adherence and reduce the risk of medication errors.
Empower seniors to recognize and avoid financial scams, protecting their financial well-being and reducing emotional distress.
Provide engaging and accessible tools for maintaining cognitive function.
DEFINE
Framing the Core Problem
Seniors face challenges in health, safety, and cognition. Existing tech often fails them due to complexity and poor accessibility, leading to medication errors, scam vulnerability, tech frustration, and reduced independence. Research highlights this gap, emphasizing the need for an intuitive, engaging, and accessible digital tool designed specifically for their core needs.
Hypothesis Statement
By designing a senior-centric mobile app with accessible medication management, clear scam warnings, and engaging memory features, one can hypothesize to empower seniors to improve health adherence, enhance safety, and support cognitive well-being, leading to increased independence and control.
Value Proposition and Hypothetical Metrics for Success
The app offers a simple, accessible, and trustworthy integrated solution designed specifically for seniors to confidently manage medications, proactively protect against scams, and engage in enjoyable cognitive exercises, ultimately promoting their independence, safety, and cognitive well-being in a user-friendly digital environment.
Increased medication adherence, fewer reported scam instances, and positive user feedback on ease of use and engagement.
IDEATE
Brainstorming Potential Solutions (‘How Might We’s):
Leveraging the "How Might We" method, I reframed key pain points into actionable questions:
Feature Prioritization (MoSCoW Method):
Prioritizing features based on user needs and impact:
Key Considerations and Addressing Concerns
Prioritizing clarity and simplicity is essential for usability and minimizing cognitive load.
Accessibility First: Design with large, clear fonts, high contrast, intuitive navigation, and voice control options, adhering to accessibility guidelines (WCAG).
Simplified UI: Avoid clutter, use clear icons and labels. Emphasize the need for user testing with the target demographic (even hypothetically) for usability feedback.
Hearing/Vision Impairments: Address through large text, high contrast, clear audio cues (for reminders, alerts), and voice control.
Hand Tremors/Arthritis: Consider larger, well-spaced buttons, voice input capabilities, and potentially customizable UI scaling.
Technology Barriers: Maintain a simple and intuitive interface. Include a clear tutorial or onboarding process within the app to guide new users.
Emotion First: Reassure seniors in moments of anxiety, celebrate small wins, etc.
Minimize Cognitive Effort: Use simple flows, clear iconography, etc.
Emergency UX: Prioritize clarity over visual beauty.
Hypothetical User Journey Map
NEXT STEPS
Beyond this Research Project:
This research directly informs the app's design stages: developing Low-Fidelity Wireframes, creating Interactive Prototypes, conducting Usability Testing, and developing High-Fidelity Mockups. Regular testing with senior users is crucial for identifying and addressing usability issues.
Conclusion
Technology adoption among seniors is growing, driven by the desire for independence, health management, and social connections, indicating a promising market for senior-focused apps. This research demonstrates an understanding of senior needs and the complexities of designing for them, positioning the app concept as a valuable and empowering tool.
