Garden Loft
InceptionU Project Overview
Develop a TV for independent senior living units that can be added to an existing backyard to help preserve independence for as long as possible.
Objective
Work with a team of developers to create a full stack TV app that supports the tech lifecycle of the Garden Loft Community, including an IoT interface, emergency communication with supporters, and fall detection.
timeline
Four Weeks.
User Persona
Late 70’s senior who rents out their house, has purchased a Garden Loft unit to live in and enjoy her own garden. The people who rent the home on the same property will help support her and unit in the backyard. She can use her iPad but that’s the extent of her tech ability. She doesn’t have family in the area needs a little extra support that will increase as she ages.
tools
Product Management
Wireframing
UX Research
UI Prototyping
TV App Design
Figma
Collaboration
WCA Guidelines
Client Liaison
Working With Developers
Garden Loft TV App Mock Up
Process
Collaboration
As the designer I also found myself in the role of Product Manager. The developers I worked with were extremely talented and excited to take on this project, and our first meetings were chaotic brainstorming sessions. While useful, we were getting ahead of ourselves and needed to focus on each step. I naturally fell into the position of setting goals and timelines, unofficial designated note taker, checking in individually and communicating to the group updated client expectations.
After those initial meetings our group really hit a stride and were working seamlessly together. The developers were up front about what design aspects they could deliver, and what would have to be cut. After the first 3 design-heavy weeks were over I continued to ensure our team stayed agile and the product was on track for the deadline.
Iterative & Agile Design
Working with real clients means expectations change often. This is something I experienced with this project and it’s the perfect example of why an agile mindset and strong communication skills are so important in design. Previous versions were to include a log in portal, scheduling, meal management and home monitoring features. Through meetings with the client we uncovered that they were really looking for IoT/API integration and fall detection. We were the only team to deliver all of these aspects to the client.
User Research
Despite the four week delivery timeline I did some User Research with a brief questionnaire. I asked a group of eight people aged 60+, four questions, our conversation is summarized below.
Q: What are your main concerns as you age?
A: Everyone mentioned aging in place, maintaining independence and family connection.
Q: What level of technical experience do you have?
A: There were a variety of answers, however, all of them had experience with call, text and simple web navigation on an iPhone or tablet.
Q: What websites do you frequently visit?
A: Around half the group mentioned mostly reading the news online, and everyone agreed that they visit the New York Times Games website daily.
Q: What do you like or notice about these websites?
A: They liked the simplicity, that everything is visible on the main page and the bright colours.
Outcome
Hi-Fi TV App Wireframe
The client wanted the features of the app displayed in a carousel layout. I chose bright colours to clearly distinguish each feature, similar to the NYT Games site from my research. The visual design for the Garden Loft TV App blends vibrant colours with a structured layout, making the app intuitive for users. The use of icons and organized categories ensures users can easily find what they need. I also designed a screen saver to display pictures while the app is not in use.
With a four week deadline, we had to abandon the wireframe early so the developers could start building, and a lot of changes to the final product were made on the fly.
