Partnering with GovTech Singapore
WellderlyEvent App Design
Background.
GovTech is a government agency in Singapore that is dedicated to harnessing the power of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve public services and the lives of citizens.
The agency discovered a gap between the elderly and their use of digital services as technology becomes increasingly prevalent in society, so therefore needed a solution to address this issue.
Role.
Lead UI/UX Designer for the end-to-end design of the prototype and user research including conducting interviews and user testing.
Worked closely with stakeholders, guiding the team, and ensuring a user-centered design process.
Team.
Sarah Kim | Lead UI/UX Designer
Iling Teng | UI/UX Designer
Enwei Chew | UI/UX Designer
Timeline: 3 Months
Overview
Successful aging-in-place.Collaborating with Govtech Singapore, we wanted to uncover the government services Singaporean seniors above 50 years were required to successfully age in place.
Aiming to make the experience easy and seamless, the problem in question was how to promote the elderly use of e-government services for successful aging-in-place.
What is “Aging-in-Place”?
The ability of the elderly to live in their own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Define
Why are we doing this?The proportion of elderly using digital devices and the internet is increasing, yet those that don’t use e-government services tend to be the elderly and instead get other family members to do it on their behalf.
User Research
Preliminary Survey.In a survey of 15 aged-in-place adults, we gathered feedback on their background information, technology usage, and government service awareness.
Our findings also revealed that elder adults nearing retirement (ages 58 to 65) were most interested in active learning.
Based on the preliminary survey findings, the target audience was active elderly who were technologically dependent. This group was identified as having the time and motivation to actively learn and enhance their skills which typically includes elderly close to or already retired (ages 60-67).
Target Audience
User Segmentation.User Research
Persona.
Tan Bee Hun | 64
An active retired elderly
“I have a hard time regaining independence after retirement. I need structure in my life.”
Bee Hun is a retiree struggling with emotional emptiness due to the loss of structure in her life after leaving work. She desires to remain active and find purpose in her life by retaining a structured lifestyle.
However, she faces pain points such as difficulty adapting to a world of technology and maintaining independence.
Studying a user group in their natural environment helped us identify key opportunities for them to encounter our product/service.
Our four 1-on-1 interviews with individuals who fit the user persona have shown that active elderly individuals tend to participate in programs and events organized by the government to promote active aging in place.
1-on-1 Interviews.
User Research
User Research
Journey Map.Our observations and interviews with active event attendees allowed us to conclude the following journey map of the event attendance process.
Event tickets are small and easily misplaced paper slips.
Residential corner workers manually call individuals to notify them of their upcoming events.
Events are inconveniently advertised at residential corners.
“If I miss the call from the residential corner, I can miss the event reminder.”User Research
The Old Event Attending Process.“If I don’t leave the house, I can miss out on upcoming events.”“It is difficult to keep track of events and tickets because they are easy to lose.”
To bridge this gap, we propose transitioning the event attendance process to a digital platform, promoting the use of e-government services, and easing the elderly into the world of online services.
Design Goal
To design an e-government platform that promotes successful aging-in-place among the elderly by providing easy access to events and activities through a streamlined experience with a user-friendly interface, accessibility features, and support resources.
Information Architecture
Application Site Map.Ideation
Sketch + Wireframes.
User Testing
Lo-fi prototype.
I-ling created low-fidelity screens with various design elements for user testing. Users provided feedback on the design flow by sharing their thought processes while navigating through the screens.
Elderly users prefer a navigation system that includes both icons and text.
Pictures are preferred over icons for viewing events and event categories.
For government services, formal language is preferred over slang as it is perceived as more legitimate.
User Research
Lo-fi prototype testing findings.Concept Development
Refinement.We used the insights gained from testing the lo-fi prototype to refine the app design and improve user experience. Subsequently, we conducted another round of user testing to validate the changes made to the screens and app flow.
Residential corner workers manually call individuals to notify them of their upcoming events.
Design updates such as larger text and buttons and larger photos based on the testing feedback.
User Testing
Mockup Testing.To finalize the design, we created a high-fidelity prototype of the evolved app using Figma and conducted a final round of user testing. This round enabled us to validate the design and test details such as color and text sizing.
User Research
Design System.
Logo
The name Wellderly reflects the app's intentions as it pushes for the elderly to live a well-aged-in-place life.
Colors
Green symbolizes Singapore's nature and government services, and the exact shade of green was selected after passing a color contrast checker to ensure visibility for elderly individuals with poorer vision.
Typography
Final Concept
Main Features.
User Research
Onboarding.
To provide a comfortable navigation experience for elderly individuals in Singapore, they can choose their preferred language from the country's four official languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and English.
Easy Search Bar
Navigation Bar
Overview
Onboarding.Large Category Icons
Using pictures in event listings can help create a universal understanding of the event and provide users with insight into what they can expect.
Filtered Events
Filtering events based on user preferences for distance, cost, and timing can help streamline the event-searching process.
Final Design
In ActionReflectionWorking on a government-related project with a completely new team was a significant challenge due to the cultural learning curve I had to overcome. Despite this, leading the user testing phase and co-designing with elderly individuals enabled me to gain valuable insights into their needs and perspectives. Through constant efforts to immerse myself in the culture, I learned to approach problems from a new perspective and gained a deeper understanding of the importance of user-centric design. Overall, this project taught me the value of embracing diversity and the importance of considering cultural differences when designing solutions.
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