Reimagining Community
Role: Service Designer, UI/UX Designer
Timeline: 14Weeks, 2024 Summer
Team: Juliet Wu, Uranda Xue, Crystal Wang, Anica Qian
Responsibility: Field research, interviews, paper prototype execution
Based on the Pasadena Senior Center, our team designed service flows and interfaces that support introverted elders in joining community activities. Through field research and expert interviews, we redesigned the center’s layout and crafted paper prototypes to test.
High-fidelity Wireframe
User Flow
Low-fidelity Mockup
A redesign of Pasadena Senior Center to a more inclusive space with less physical separation.
Original layout
All are enclosure space that isolate different section dramatically.
Design focus
01
Increase the sense of connectivity between spaces, easier to move around.
02
Having more open spaces to increase visibility for elders to see the activities.
03
Enhance the inclusivity and comfort of the space to a welcoming home-like community.
Layout
Connectivity
Circular layout, separation of noisy activities and quiet activities.
Visibility
Minimum use of doors that might hinder elder’s view.
Inclusivity
More public space: rest &dine, theater and garden. Less doors.
Snapshots
Entering
Gym, Dance studio, Emergency room & Chess room
Garden & Rest and dine
Library, Handcrafting room & Computer lab
Problem Statement
Target Group: The Elder Group Who Understand and Use Technology (age range: 65-80)
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How might we increase social connection between elders living alone and other individuals in their community?
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How might we increase community engagement for introvert elders who live alone?
Early time
Mid Term
Mid Term Insight
Final Term
How might we support easier technology uses for elderly?
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How might we help foster social connection between elders and people who share similar values?
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Our Goals of Testing
01 Assess the Logical Coherence and Practicality of the Service Process.
02 Identify the True Needs of Elders in the Senior Center.
03 Streamline the Registration Process and Diversify Access Channels.
How it tested
Familiarize with the Center's Layout - Navigate through the facility to understand its spatial organization and layout.
Discover and Participate in an Activity of Interest - Identify an engaging activity within the center and experience it firsthand.
Enroll in the Selected Activity - Complete the registration process to participate in the chosen activity.
3D Prototype Example
What will our service environment looks like?
1st draft
First Draft layout we created for our service center
Final refined version
We created our prototypes into 3D version which makes it more immersive and allowing users to have a clearer picture of our design
Flow for Paper Prototypes
Introduction of our background
Introduce ourselves as the staff who have different roles in the service center and we aim to enhance the connection between elders living alone and people with the same value. We set the location of the service as Pasadena Senior Center.
Personal setting
We let our users imagine themselves as 70-year-old elders, who have lived alone for 10 years and whose family rarely visits them. Also, they prefer to interact with people who share similar values and hobbies. When staying at home, their biggest hobby is hand crafting.
Enter the Senior Center
When users arrive at the center, they wander in the garden to glance at the environment and the employee outside, one of our responsible, will call your attention and give the introduction of the videos and the photos of the center in order to provide a welcomed atmosphere.
Entered, navigate through the layout of center
Realizing the smart map. Take a headset on the self- navigate map, listen to the guidance of the center’s layout while navigating the center.
Get to know the activities offered
Find the counter with information about the senior center. Counter will also be the activity leader to introduce the activities the center offers and invite for a tour to guide the elders to the activity they feel interest in. Also provide them an ease and informed about everything.
After Touring, observe the activities
Counters introduce the activities that elders interested in, and lead them to observe the activities.
Experience the activity with extrovert elder
The counter leads the elders to the activity that they’d like to try. The member in the activity, the extrovert elder will be in the process of leading the elder and make elders fit-in and get familiar with the activity. He/she will provide comfort words, friends' invitations and start the hand-craft project.
Sign up for the activity.
The extrovert member will take the elder to the counter in order to sign up after the activity session. Counter will offer the sign up form and elders will choose the platform to sign up based on their preference. Either choose to sign up online or talk to the counter.
Reflections Summary
Optimize Room Layout:
Cluster quiet rooms together, position the theatre at the rear, and centralize the dining area for better accessibility and reduced noise.
Improve Navigation and Safety:
Enhance guidance with strategically placed staff at the entrance and relocate the emergency room closer to high-activity areas.
Enhance Visibility and Information:
Utilize engaging promotional materials, window displays, and a clear, informative online presence to attract and inform visitors.
Questions
How to find another way to replace the artifact? Less instability elements in service to provide a better service flow.
How can we expand the service further after join the center so that we can actually help elders to integrate together and able to build deep, meaningful connections?
Whether the current layout of Pasadena senior center is reasonable, could the layout be helpful to solve our HMW statement?
Next Steps
Improve visual expression, a clearer model and service process, or have a video which shows clear process of the whole service.
Expand the service process, not only focusing on introvert elders but also have solution for other personalities.
A service flow template that can apply to more locations with different circumstances, not only for the Pasadena senior center.