In 2019, Canadians aged 45+ made up almost half of the total population.
According to research, many adult do not get enough daily physical exercise, and mental wellness is almost an after thought as their day to day lives barely allow them time to have a moment to themselves. As this trend continues, preventable health issues become more prevalent.
My team of UX Designers and I wanted to find a way to address needs for this group, specifically, focusing our approach on physical and mental wellness. We asked our selves, “How might we assist aging individuals in adopting a healthy daily routine that brings structure to their busy lives, while at the same time, improving their physical and mental health?”
Smart Solutions for Aging Needs
Project Length
September 2019 - November 2019
Secondary
What health issues do people aged 45+ face?
What are the pre-existing health applications and how do they work?
Primary
What are the main issues we should focus on?
What questions can we ask participants about their mental and physical wellness?
Research
Using a method from the Ideo Design Kit called “Sharing Inspiring Stories”, we were able to pool all of the research findings into one board that showed the most inspiring stories from our participant interviews. From this, we found emergent themes that would be used to further identify their needs and pain points.
Synthesis of Data
Findings and Emergent Themes
Participants value both physical and mental health, but rarely have time to focus on either aspect.
Many voiced that they struggle to maintain the level of physical and mental health that they desired.
Difficulty stemmed from fast paced lifestyle and career driven environment they lived in.
The majority of the 45+ population experienced at least one of the following issues:
Migraines
Diabetes
Heart problems
Joint pain
Back problems
Ideation
Upon discussion, we agreed on the following 5 big ideas:
Wearable/accessory
AI/Machine
Task reminders
Social/community
Educational
After carefully considering both feasibility and usability, we decided to create a digital solution for our problem.
Features of the Concept
Simple bracelet wearable device to track bio stats
App analyzes data and provides health summaries (daily, weekly, monthly)
Reminder system to keep the user focused throughout the day
Set daily goals
Ability to share statistics and achievements on a social network
Once we drew up our paper prototype for our app, we invited our participants back to test for ease of use and understanding. From listening to their feedback, we adjusted our vision and carried on to creating wire frames with the following goals in mind:
Focus
Control
Accountability
Guidance & Education
Paper Prototyping and Feedback
Role
Researcher, interviewer, UI designer, UX designer
Meet Expand!
Introducing Expand, an app + wearable that focuses on a user’s mental and physical well being. It will take users’ understanding about health and its management to another level.
The app works in conjunction with a wearable bracelet, which detects heart rate, blood pressure, and sudden falls. Through the app, the user can set goals, get daily reminders, fill in journal entries, get health tips/articles, and see their statistics.
