*DISCLAIMER* This app was created 2 YEARS BEFORE the introduction of Lyft Silver and Uber Senior Accounts. Pretty cool I had the same idea tho;)
TARGET USER
Elderly people who are unable to drive.
Wireframes Sketches & Task Flow
MAIN TASK
To easily, safely, and efficiently order a ride as an elderly individual who can not drive.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Transportation is frustratingly difficult for the elderly who can not drive, so there should be a service that makes transportation accessible, safe, and easy to use.
1 in 5
AMERICANS OVER 65 NO LONGER DRIVE
Research
25%
OF ADULTS OVER 65 WITH SMARTPHONES HAVE USED RIDE-SHARE APPS (2018)
60%
OF ADULTS OVER 65 USE SMARTPHONES
2/3
OF ADULTS OVER 65 STATE THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO TRY RIDE-SHARE APPS (2019)
INITIAL WEB RESEARCH
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
EMPATHY MAP
I interviewed my grandmother on my mother's side and grandfather on my father's side. I generally found that both were extremely frustrated about being unable to drive, AND struggling to use their mobile devices.
IMPACT/EFFORT MATRIX
Final Screens
DESIGN DECISIONS
Off the bat, you may notice, this app is not the very aesthetically pleasing... It is repetitive, straight-forward, high-contrast, and plain, but these choices were intentional so as to best fit the tastes and needs of adults over 65.
I used the Lato typeface family for the project because of its legibility, and did not let any text point size get below 16, and aimed to stick at around 20, but the user is free to change these settings in settings.
Color was also very intentional in this app. Color confusion is common among the elderly and blue is a color not as effected by red-green color blindness like purple can be. It is also a calm consistent color.
I also chose to color-coordinate important buttons with a bright but not overwhelming yellow. I chose to make user selections turn from light to dark blue with the additional green check mark checked upon selection so that the app functions like paper. The use of the large star for the destination chosen also was meant to resemble what a user would circle/star/x on a paper map.
"The application tackles a complex topic and simplifies it without minimizing the needs of tthe users. There are some clever features that add real value to the application."
Linh Dao
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
“Oh, I get it! That is so thoughtful. Thank you.”
Allan Ridley
Grandfather, 85 years old, San Francisco
“When can I use it?” “....Oh! Now we just need you to make the real thing!”
Colleen Peterson
Grandmother, 85 years old, Orange County
Reactions/Reviews for Silver
Silver, Elderly Transportation
DATE
Fall, 2023
TEAM
Elizabeth Ridley
DESIGN TYPE
Mobile Application Design
TOOLS
Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma
THE TASK
Design a mobile application for a target user completely unrelated to yourself.
DELIVERABLES
Multi-screen mobile application design; Research and drafting; Presentation
ABOUT MY PROJECT
The elderly deserve a better transportation experience, especially with a mobile device at their fingertips. So, I asked the question: how can a ride-share application be accessible, safe, and enjoyable for an elderly individual?
Silver was created to explore how ride share applications can meet the unique needs of the elderly population. The application aims to address the challenges seniors face in accessing quick and safe transportation to promote social inclusion and to connect them to their communities.