Project Overview
Create an app for people about to retire and/or recently retired. Consider the accessibility issues of this user group. Move beyond obvious solutions.
Project Kick Off
Interviews
To get a better understanding of the user group, I started out by interviewing people that would fit into the archetype description. These interviews helped me get into the user's shoes and find out what they really wanted out of an app. I made
Secondary Research
After completing the interviews, I went on to do secondary research. Before this project, I had never designed a user experience specifically for elderly people. I wanted to make sure I created a memorable experience that wasn't confusing to someone with less experience in technology. I learned a lot about things like how big to make buttons and icons, how older people tend to navigate apps and websites, and how to teach users how to use an app. Along with doing learning more about the archetype, I also had to create a library of movies and T.V. shows dating back to the 1930s.
Sketching
Now that I knew what the app needed to focus on and the core values of Spry, I could start sketching the logo and screen flows. After finishing the logo sketches, I received critique from classmates and my professor. Once the screen flows were sketched out, I went back to a couple people I interviewed to see if this app would be something they would use.
Wireframes
Before jumping into static prototypes, I sat down and created some wireframes. This allowed me to focus on the functional side of the app first, before focusing on the aesthetic side.
A big feature of the app that makes it useable for older people is the text resizing buttons. Another feature of the app is the pop-up tips that remind the user what to do next. These were features I had never done before, so I wanted to start testing them in the wireframe stage to make sure they did what I wanted them to, and made sense to an older group of users. After testing, I found out most users thought these features were very helpful.
Prototypes
Now that I knew my wireframes were functional, I could start designing the app. I went with a youthful color scheme that was also a little retro. I wanted to make sure the app was personalized enough so users would have easy access to movies and shows from their childhood. However, I also didn't want users to have to share too much personal information, so I decided to give users the option to only share their birth year in the onboarding.
After testing the prototype for the first time, I realized I was missing some key screens. Along with testing Spry on retirees, I also tested it on college students that are regular users of movie streaming apps. One of the users pointed out that the screen would be different at the end of a movie or series than it would be in-between episodes. This was great insight that helped me design a better app.
I was also given the opportunity to improve my Figma skills. I learned how to prototype the text enlargement buttons. Overlays were another thing I gained experience with while prototyping the hamburger menu. One thing I am really proud of was prototyping a horizontal scroll for the movies and shows on the home page. I also tried out animation for the first time!
