Award-Winning Designer
Social Steps
Final Year Project
ROLE
UX Designer
UI & Visual Designer
Project Manager
Scrum Master
Information Architecture
TIMELINE
Jan - May 2020
Final Year Project
TOOLS
Adobe Xd
Adobe Illustrator
Paper Prototyping
Usability Testing
Adobe Premiere Pro
AWARDS
Winner: Universal Design, IDI Graduate Awards 2020
Shortlist: Interaction Design, IDI Graduate Awards 2020
PROJECT AWARDS
PROBLEM IDENTIFIED
Older adults' lack of digital literacy, which results in an increase in loneliness among the age group.
Technology and digital applications are designed primarily for digital natives, often excluding users who may not have strong digital literacy or older adults suffering from age related impairments.
Public services and banking are moving online. In Ireland, there is an increase in email communication resulting in the closure of post offices, furthermore banks are closing branches due to the elevation in online banking.
Age Action’s older members have contacted to complain of:
“feeling pressured by their bank to do business online” (Age Action, 2020).
Age Action (2020) reports that only 17% of adults ages 65-74 in Ireland have basic or above basic overall digital skills.
“feeling pressured by their bank to do business online”
PROJECT AIM
How might we increase accessibility of technology while avoiding technological overwhelm among older adult users?
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Increase accessibility of technology for older adults.
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Reduce social isolation & loneliness among older adults.
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Enable older adults to experience the benefits of modern technology, including: reminders, alarms, safety, fun and hobbies, lists.
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Focusing the UI design on social connection rather than learning how to use the technology, which may be overwhelming.
DEFINING THE USERS
WHY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY USERS?
Primary users: 'beginners'
Older adults that want to learn more about technology.
Secondary users: 'mentors'
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Encourages social connection
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Familiar: the beginner may be family of the mentor
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Mentors can share their technology skills
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Creating a safe place for older adults to improve their technology skills
Typically the younger generation; they could be children or grandchildren of the ‘beginner’, who will assist the ‘beginner’ and share their technological knowledge.
PERSONAS & SCENARIOS
EMPATHY MAP
WIREFRAMING
Paper wireframing was the first stage of the UI design, before it was developed in iterations on Adobe Xd.
USABILITY TESTING
Usability testing was carried out throughout the project sprints to evaluate the user interface, with a set of key objectives for each testing session. Testing methods utilised were: Paper Prototyping and Online Testing with individual users.
Each testing session was:
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planned with key objectives, user personas, tasks and user questions,
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recorded and transcripted after the session
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data was analysed and translated into actionable recommendations for the UI design
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The project was managed using the agile methodology, so that all aspects of the project are being developed and deadlines are met. I used the project management software Asana to organise tasks according to Sprints and deadlines. As the scrum master, I ensured a Sprint Review took place at the end of each Sprint to evaluate the progress of the project and observe the outcomes achieved. This allowed the project to be divided according to key milestones, which are organised user testing sessions, sprint reviews, the progress review and submission dates.
KEY FEATURES
Profile
Each user has a unique profile page. Upon signing up, the user is prompted to upload a profile photo, insert location and interests and upload a bio. This information is displayed on their profile, allowing other profiles to connect with them.
Connections
Users can make connections on "Social Steps", they should be people the user knows personally or acquaintances. A message can be attached to the connection request, for further clarity. Users can accept/decline connection requests. For security, it is advised in the app that users only accept people they know of. Connections can send messages to each other through the message feature.
Close Ring
Close Ring consists of a ‘beginner’ and their ‘mentor(s)’. The close ring are people the ‘beginner’ can fully trust and who will assist the older adult in improving their digital skills. A ‘mentor’ must request to become a beginner’s ‘mentor’, the ‘beginner’ can choose to accept/decline this request, the mentor can attach a message to the request.
The close ring is designed to be a safe place where the 'beginner' can ask questions, connect and play games with members. Users can view statistics of close ring members, showcasing mentor's response rates and activity level in the group, this is designed to create friendly competition among members.
Attend Virtually
Users can attend events virtually through the app, for example local bingo. Users can set a reminder of an upcoming virtual event they wish to attend. The reminder will be sent as an app notification 15 minutes before the event begins.
Search
The search feature appears in the navigation menu (top left), it can be used to search for profiles, games and organisations. The user can filter their search for more refined results.
Game Center
The game centre is designed to promote community and engagement in the app. Users can play multiplayer games with their connections/close ring. Some games available are Draughts, Chess, Solitaire and there are leader boards to encourage socialisation and engagement.
Help
The help button is located at the top right of each interface; his allows the user to easily access the help section at any time. The help section consists of help articles (eg. how to make a connection, how to add a new post, how to send a message), explanation of icons and a demonstration video.
A2 POSTER FOR PRINT
