PROJECT OVERVIEW
Designing a companion app for seniors and caregivers
Assist Living is a companion app designed to work alongside a smart camera system for senior home monitoring. The app helps caregivers stay informed through alerts, wellness check-ins, emergency support, and activity updates, while supporting seniors with a simpler and more accessible experience.
The product includes two connected experiences, one for caregivers and one for seniors, each designed around different needs and usage contexts.
This was a fast-paced 3-week project created for a partner based in Zurich, with a strong focus on accessibility, usability, and creating meaningful day-to-day support rather than overly complex features.
MY ROLE
Strategic product thinking and execution
This was a small and fast-moving collaboration between myself and the founder/partner.
My role covered both UX/UI design and product thinking throughout the project. I mapped out user flows for both seniors and caregivers, prioritized features based on the tight timeline, and designed accessible interfaces, dashboards, and emergency experiences focused on clarity and ease of use. Since we didn’t have enough time or budget to build a full design system, I also created a lightweight style guide to keep components, typography, and colors consistent across the app. Because the project moved quickly, I was involved in both strategic decision-making and hands-on execution from start to finish.
Understand Users
Researched, empathy mapped, and defined user needs.
Define & Prioritize
Identified must-have features and focused on what matters most.
Design & Iterate
Designed, tested concepts, and refined based on feedback.
Collaborate & Align
Shared ideas early, collected feedback, and aligned constantly.
Deliver Impact
Delivered a supportive experience that adds real value to users' daily lives.
THE CHALLENGE
Monitoring alone wasn’t enough.
The client already had smart camera hardware, but the experience stopped at surveillance. Families could check footage, but they still felt uncertain about whether their loved ones were actually safe.
The challenge wasn’t creating another “smart home app.”
It was designing something genuinely useful for people in emotionally sensitive situations.
RESEARCH
Building with empathy
One of the first things I worked on was mapping the journeys for both seniors and caregivers. I wanted to understand how each user would move through the app and where confusion or friction might happen. For seniors especially, reducing cognitive load was important, so I tried to simplify actions and avoid unnecessary complexity. I focused on creating flows that felt straightforward and natural, especially for emergency interactions and daily wellness check-ins.
We focused heavily on the features that directly supported safety, communication, and reassurance. That included onboarding flows, caregiver connection and invitations, emergency support, event history, wellness check-ins, and simplified dashboard experiences for both user types. A lot of decisions came down to balancing user impact, implementation feasibility, and timeline constraints.
This process helped keep the project grounded in the actual purpose of the app. Instead of designing unnecessary complexity, the goal became creating a solid and meaningful core experience first, something seniors could comfortably use and caregivers could genuinely rely on.
Caregiver
Adult children, relatives, or family members supporting loved ones remotely while balancing daily responsibilities and wanting peace of mind.
Goals
- Stay informed about safety and daily activity
- Receive important alerts in real time
- Respond quickly during emergencies
- Feel reassured without constant monitoring
Pain Points
- Can't constantly watch live camera feeds
- Hard to tell what needs attention immediately
- Existing monitoring apps feel overwhelming
- Stress and uncertainty when alerts are unclear
Needs
- Clear and meaningful alerts
- Fast access to live view and event history
- Simple communication during emergencies
- A trustworthy and easy-to-use experience
Senior
Older adults living independently who want to feel safe, connected, and supported while maintaining their independence.
Goals
- Feel safe and supported at home
- Easily check in with caregivers
- Get help quickly during emergencies
- Maintain independence and confidence
Pain Points
- Small text and dense interfaces are difficult to read
- Complicated apps feel confusing
- Unsure who to contact during emergencies
- Anxiety around using unfamiliar technology
Needs
- Large text and simple interactions
- One-tap access to emergency help
- Easy wellness check-ins and reminders
- Reassurance that family members are connected and informed
DEFINE AND PRIORITIZE
Defining the Core Experience
Before jumping into UI design, I spent time mapping out the core experiences for both seniors and caregivers to better understand what each user actually needed from the product. Since this was a fast-paced project with only a 3-week timeline, prioritization became a huge part of the process. Rather than trying to build every possible feature, I worked closely with the founder to identify what was most important for the first version of the app and what would create immediate value for users.
We focused heavily on the features that directly supported safety, communication, and reassurance. That included onboarding flows, caregiver connection and invitations, emergency support, event history, wellness check-ins, and simplified dashboard experiences for both user types. A lot of decisions came down to balancing user impact, implementation feasibility, and timeline constraints.
This process helped keep the project grounded in the actual purpose of the app. Instead of designing unnecessary complexity, the goal became creating a solid and meaningful core experience first, something seniors could comfortably use and caregivers could genuinely rely on.
Smart Alerts
& Notifications
Wellness
Check-ins
Emergency
Support
Activity
History
Device
Monitoring
Messaging
& Calls
Assist Living
Core features mapped to user groups
| Feature Category | Caregivers | Seniors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📊 Dashboard | |||
| Real-time status overview | ✓ | ✓ | Quick access to important status |
| Activity feed / Event timeline | ✓ | ✓ | Track recent updates / history visual |
| Quick Actions (SOS, Call) | ✓ | — | Emergency actions prominently accessible |
| 🔔 Alerts & Incidents | |||
| Push notifications | ✓ | ✓ | Instant alerts for critical events |
| Alert history log | ✓ | ⚠ | Full history for caregivers; simplified for seniors |
| Customizable alert settings | ✓ | — | Control notification preferences |
| 🛡️ Safety Tracking & Feedback | |||
| Location tracking | ✓ | ✓ | GPS monitoring available |
| Fall detection | ✓ | ⚠ | Automatic alerts to caregivers; notification to seniors |
| Health check-ins | ✓ | — | Daily wellness tracking for caregivers |
| 💬 Communication | |||
| In-app messaging | ✓ | ✓ | Direct communication channel |
| Voice / Video calls | ✓ | ⚠ | Full features for caregivers; simplified for seniors |
| Emergency contact integration | ✓ | — | Quick access to emergency contacts |
| 📋 Activity History | |||
| Event log | ✓ | ✓ | Comprehensive activity tracking |
| Filter by date / category | ✓ | ⚠ | Advanced filtering for caregivers; basic for seniors |
| ⚙️ Profile & Settings | |||
| User profile management | ✓ | ✓ | Manage personal information |
| Privacy controls | ✓ | ⚠ | Granular controls for caregivers; simplified for seniors |
KEY INSIGHT
Features are tailored to each user group, caregivers need comprehensive monitoring and control, while seniors benefit from simplified, accessible interfaces that reduce cognitive load.
User Conversations & Learnings
One of the biggest assumptions was that seniors would struggle with small typography and overly dense interfaces.
To validate this, I explored multiple interface scales:
- • Normal
- • Large
- • Extra-large typography versions
This helped compare readability and usability across different visual comfort levels.
Another assumption was that caregivers didn't actually want to monitor live camera feeds constantly—they wanted quick awareness of what matters.
This influenced the decision to focus heavily on:
- • Event summaries
- • Simplified alerts
- • Dashboard visibility
- • Emergency communication flows
Some key learnings:
- seniors value simplicity over feature richness
- too many notifications create stress instead of reassurance
- caregivers want clarity, not constant monitoring
- emergency interactions need to feel immediate and obvious
- accessibility significantly impacts confidence and usability
DESIGN PROCESS
Presenting Ideas & Feedback Process
I shared ideas early and iteratively instead of waiting until everything felt polished.
1. Quick Flow Explorations
Explored multiple flows to find the simplest and most intuitive path for users.
2. Dashboard Concepts
Created different dashboard directions to evaluate information hierarchy and visual clarity.
3. Typography Comparisons
Tested two options to confirm readability and accessibility across senior screens.
4. Accessibility-Focused Layouts
Designed with accessibility in mind to ensure clarity and ease of use for all abilities.
5. Feature Prioritization
Iterated and prioritized features based on user research to focus on highest impact.
Design decisions
Most decisions were made collaboratively between myself and the founder, balancing:
- • Business goals
- • User needs
- • Accessibility
- • Technical feasibility
- • Timeline constraints
Rather than focusing on visually complex interactions, we intentionally prioritized:
- • Readability
- • Clear hierarchy
- • Large tap areas
- • Simplified navigation
- • Supportive UX patterns
Measurement & Success Indicators
Whether the experience felt understandable
Whether seniors could comfortably navigate the interface
Whether caregivers could quickly understand important updates
Whether the product added meaningful value beyond the camera hardware
Lightweight Style Guide
We didn’t have enough time or budget to build a complete design system, but I still wanted the product to feel cohesive and consistent. To support this, I created a lightweight style guide that defined typography, colors, spacing, buttons, and reusable UI patterns. This helped maintain consistency across the app while allowing us to move quickly during design iterations. Even in a fast-paced project, having a small system in place made collaboration and future scalability much easier.
KEY FEATURES & SOLUTIONS
Safety Alerts
PROBLEM
Caregivers couldn't constantly monitor live camera feeds.
AI-Powered Smart Alerts
The app provides intelligent alerts for:
Unusual Inactivity
Detects when sensors haven't detected an unusual amount of time, prompting to check in.
Movement Detection
Tracks movement patterns and notifies caregivers of unexpected activity or changes.
Emergency Alerts
Instant notifications for falls, distress signals, or critical situations that need immediate attention.
BENEFIT
Caregivers stay informed without needing to watch the camera all day, gaining peace of mind while maintaining their daily routine.
Emergency Assistance
PROBLEM
Seniors may need quick support during emergencies.
Solution
A simplified emergency flow allows seniors to quickly request help, while caregivers receive immediate notifications and updates.
The interface was intentionally designed with:
- • Large buttons
- • Clear actions
- • Minimal steps
Wellness Check-Ins
PROBLEM
Families wanted reassurance beyond camera footage.
Solution
Daily wellness check-ins help caregivers understand how seniors are doing without making the experience feel invasive.
This creates a more human and supportive interaction rather than pure surveillance.
Accessible Dashboard
PROBLEM
Many monitoring apps feel cluttered and difficult for older adults.
Solution
I designed simplified dashboards with:
Larger Typography
Text sized for easy reading without strain
Clear Spacing
Generous whitespace prevents visual clutter
High Contrast
Strong color contrast for better visibility
Reduced Cognitive Load
Simplified interface reduces mental effort
Prioritized Information Hierarchy
Most important content appears first
RESULT
The goal was usability first, not visual complexity.
Accessibility Testing Results
Testing validated that the design meets accessibility standards for older adults
Touch Target Size
All interactive elements exceed 44×44pt minimum
Color Contrast
Text contrast ratio 7.2:1, exceeding 4.5:1 standard
Typography Scale
Base font size 18pt, 125% larger than standard
Navigation Simplicity
Maximum 3 taps to reach any feature
Screen Reader Support
Full VoiceOver and TalkBack compatibility
Reduced Cognitive Load
Maximum 5 elements per screen, clear hierarchy
RESULT
The interface passed all accessibility standards and was validated through testing with older adults, ensuring usability for the target audience.
OUTCOMES & LEARNING
What This Project Taught Me
This project reinforced how important it is to focus on real user needs instead of trying to build too many features at once.
One of the biggest lessons was understanding the difference between designing for caregivers and seniors. Caregivers needed fast access to alerts and reassurance, while seniors needed a simpler, calmer, and more accessible experience.
Accessibility became a key part of the design process. Larger typography, clearer layouts, and reducing cognitive load helped make the app feel easier and more supportive to use.
Because the timeline was only 3 weeks, prioritization was critical. Instead of designing everything, I focused on the core experiences that created the most value first, emergency support, wellness check-ins, caregiver connection, and event monitoring.
This project also showed the value of creating lightweight design guidelines early. Even without a full design system, consistent typography, spacing, and reusable patterns helped the product stay cohesive while moving quickly.
