Addressing Loneliness for Korean American Seniors
Overview: Develop a virtual way for Korean American senior citizens to socialize while catering to lower technological proficiency concerns.
Role: UX Designer | Team of 4
Skills: Design Research, Wireframing, Figma
Timeline: October 2021 - March 2022
Problem
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, older adult AAPI individuals struggle with their mental health and finding opportunities to connect with each other.
Approach
The solution included designing a mobile-friendly addition as part of Hanul Family Alliance's (HFA) current website that offers Korean American seniors opportunities to engage with each other about topics of interest.
Three key research insights that my team found were:
1) Technology Usage - Clients have limited access to the internet and technology outside of personal smartphones. However, they are generally comfortable with using their phones for KaKaoTalk.
2) Specific Terminology - Clients are aware of the concepts of mental health and hate crimes, but aren't familiar with the terminology.
3) Scared to Discuss - HFA clients are scared to discuss mental health with each other due to the stigma against mental health.
Methodology
By empathizing with clients, analyzing data from user interviews to design a mobile and desktop prototype, then evaluating the prototype, it allowed us to provide HFA members a space to connect with each other.
1) Empathized with user interviews, staff interviews, comparative analysis, and client meetings
2) Analyzed through affinity mapping, user personas, and examining UX/Design requirements
3) Designed with the ideation process to develop low-fidelity, mid-fidelity, and high-fidelity mobile and desktop prototypes
4) Evaluated by performing a usability test, refining the design, and handing off the designs to our partner organization
Wireframes
Key Takeaways & Lessons Learned
Working on this project challenged me to think outside the box specifically, developing a prototype for users who are not technologically proficient and who have niche interests. I also learned how to create a good design while following an existing organization's brand guidelines.
