Accessible Explorations

A travel app for seniors, blending accessibility, safety, and meaningful experiences in a post-pandemic world

Duration: 8 weeks

Team: Natalie Codina, Rebekah Lelli, and Nikhil Kulkarni

Role: UX Designer

Methods: Research Generated User Stories, Competitive Analysis, Storyboarding, Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing

Tools: Figma, Photoshop

The Problem

The pandemic was especially tough on high-risk elderly, who struggle with online socializing and lack face-to-face interaction.

Through existing research we discovered the following:

The digital divide has grown since 2020, and seniors’ limited digital literacy continues as a barrier to socializing after the pandemic.
Post-pandemic travel is vital for seniors to rebuild social connections, highlighting the isolation's impact.
Seniors, facing mobility & health concerns, often seek accessible destinations & group tours, but research requires digital savvy.

How do we create an app that inspires older travelers to go on a meaningful trip?

Why does this matter?

30%

higher risk of early death for socially isolated seniors who stay indoors

>50%

of seniors stay home and socialize less than pre-pandemic

1.5x

higher depression risk for seniors with low social support systems

The Solution

We created a mobile travel app for seniors, focusing on:

Accessible Design

Quiz feature allows seniors to find trips by reducing options based on preferences
Overall simplified navigation and larger text

Health and Safety

View local COVID protocols and physical accessibility of each trip

Financial Benefits

Invite friends to split travel costs, eliminating upfront burdens

8 weeks: 3 prototypes (sketches, wireframes, high-fidelity) with user testing for each

Testing & Reiterating

While our sketches received positive feedback, wireframe testing revealed user confusion regarding splitting costs among family and friends. Users questioned whether all family members needed to be invited first to split costs or if one person could pay upfront and add family later. Despite efforts to improve this feature within our deadline constraints, similar feedback persisted during high-fidelity testing.

With little time left before our final deliverable, we knew it was not doable to brainstorm and completely redesign this function. We opted to keep the current design and highlight this issue while presenting our deliverable for feedback. While not the outcome we aimed for, we acknowledged that encountering obstacles in deliverables is a common part of the process in being a UX designer.

If I had more time, I would…

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Reflection & Key Takeaways

Set goals within the given constraints - We ambitiously wanted to create an app with many solutions to many problems, but the deadline made this impractical. While our passion drives us to cater to all user needs, it's important to be realistic and work within project constraints to deliver a usable product

Designs are never perfect, just better - We faced many obstacles, revealing that perfection in design is impossible. Each user has unique needs, and as people and environments evolve, designs must continually adapt.
Design is messy and beautiful - The design process is not linear as taught in school. Instead, it involves constant iteration and messy transitions between steps. Embracing this messiness is crucial as it's a natural part of the design journey.

Try Out Our Prototype