The hard part
Fragmented routines and senior-unfriendly interfaces lead to drop-offs and forgetfulness. Hearing and vision issues make tech and daily tasks error-prone.
When routine becomes a challenge, aging becomes harder
Many seniors struggle to stay organized, hydrated, healthy, and mentally active. They often miss medications, skip physical activity, or feel overwhelmed managing health and daily routines, including pet care. Technology could help, but most apps aren’t built with them in mind.
A simple, human-centered app for better aging
Lifeasier brings six essentials together: cognitive training, hydration, pet care, health monitoring, physical activity and daily planning within a calm, readable and friendly interface designed for clarity and confidence.
How I approached it
From desk research and questionnaires to persona, empathy map, wireframes, and hi-fi mockups, designed for high contrast, large typography, and familiar patterns.
What got better
- Accessible & adaptable interface
- More consistent routines
- Faster, simpler task completion
- Clear, timely feedback and guidance
From discovery to design
A lean design-thinking process grounded in empathy, research, analysis, and creativity.
Discover
desk research, competitive analysis, and questionnaires
Define
Problem framing, goals, and success metrics
Ideate
Concepts, IA & user flows, and low-fi wireframes
Design
UI system, hi-fi mockups, and prototype
Listening to real needs
Findings across desk-to-field research showed a need for simplicity, routine support across six areas (planner, pet care, physical activity, hydration, health, and cognitive training), and a friendly, accessible design, which I translated into clear flows and a senior-centred app adapted to their needs.
Animal Care
55% of older adults have pets. 72% say pets help manage emotional symptoms, reducing loneliness and encouraging a more active life. (Malani et al., 2019)
Global Aging
By 2030, 1.4B people will be 60+. By 2050, one-fifth of the world’s population will be elderly; 80% will live in LMICs. (Mathews, 2024)
Cognitive Stimulation
Up to 41% of people 50+ have MCI. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) can prevent or reverse decline and is recommended by NICE. (Elmawla et al., 2024)
Autonomy & Quality of Life
Health, social ties, participation and access to services are key for autonomy and quality of life. (Ghenta et al., 2022)
Structured routines provide security, stability and purpose, improving the well-being of older adults. (Welenc & Hopper, 2023)
Health Care & Polypharmacy
150 min/week of moderate exercise + hydration + vital signs monitoring reduces hospitalizations and fall risk by ~30%. (Raimundo et al., 2019)
Using 5+ medications is common and raises risks; medication management tools improve adherence and outcomes. (Sanches, 2020)
Research Findings
Planner
100% don’t plan your days
Problems Identified
- Lack of structured planning for the day
- Use of manual methods (notebook, notepad, physical calendars) → forgetfulness
- Relying on memory to record appointments → missed events
Potential Solutions
- Digital planner + reminders: color-coded categories; flexible daily/weekly/monthly views
- Task center: checklist with priorities; reschedule unfinished tasks; automate routines
- Calendar sync: integration with Google/Outlook; mobile reminders
- Location alerts: context-aware reminders (e.g., shopping list near supermarket)
- Voice assistant: schedule via voice
- Offline mode: works offline with auto-sync
Pet Care
60% have a pet
Problems Identified
- Regular exercise
- Cleaning and maintaining animal hygiene
- Managing vet appointments (vaccines, consultations, deworming, check-ups)
Potential Solutions
- Pet activity tips: tailored by breed, size, and age
- Care reminders: bathing, brushing, and nail trimming
- Vet appointments: automatic reminders for vaccinations, deworming, and checkups
- Digital pet card: centralized record of health, activity, diet, and more
- Multi-profiles: manage multiple pets
- Offline mode: works offline with auto-sync
Physical Exercise
60% don’t exercise 30 minutes daily
Problems Identified
- 20% do not exercise at all
- 40% do < 30 min moderate activity daily, 5×/week
Potential Solutions
- Personalized activity: custom plans, reminders, and tailored suggestions
- Simple exercises: guided routines for all levels with progress tracking
- Social connection: share progress with friends and family
- Health integration: wearables sync to track activity
- Gamification: rewards and feedback
- Shop: Complementary solutions
- Offline mode: works offline with auto-sync
Hydration
80% forget to drink water daily
Problems Identified
- Only 20% drink water during the day
- 100% do not track their water intake
- Barriers: forgetting & lack of flavor
Potential Solutions
- Reminders: custom alerts
- Tracking: daily log with progress
- Flavored water tips
- Celebration: goals & motivation
- Health integration: wearables sync for tailored alerts
- Offline mode: works offline with auto-sync
Health
Polypharmacy & low monitoring
Problems Identified
- 80% do not measure their vital signs daily
- 100% do not record their vital signs
- Limited devices (BP 50%, thermometer 50%)
- 60% are polymedicated, taking 5–7 chronic pills/day
- 100% do not set up a weekly pillbox → higher risk of dosing errors
- 80% lack a therapeutic guide
- 60% have ≥7 medical consultations/year (34.3% specialized)
- 80% have visual difficulties (100% wear glasses)
- 60% have hearing difficulties
Potential Solutions
- Vital signs: track & monitor with reminders; sync with wearables or manual input; share with doctors
- Medication organization: weekly planner with doses, images, and adherence reminders
- Therapeutic guide: digital table to manage prescriptions, history, and adjustments
- Appointments: reminders, scheduling help, and monthly health reports
- Accessibility: large fonts, inclusive colors, and voice assistant support
- Hearing support: vibrating/voice alerts and Bluetooth integration
- Offline mode: works without internet; updates automatically later
Cognitive Training
No daily personalized stimulation
Problems Identified
- 20% do not exercise their mind daily
- 80% perform single-area cognitive activities, such as:
- Reading (24%) — memory, attention, language, delayed recall
- Crosswords/word search/sudoku (32%) — attention, memory, executive functions, abstraction, orientation
- Cognitive worksheets (8%) — executive functions, attention, naming, abstraction
- Digital cognitive games (16%) — memory, attention, visuospatial, executive functions, naming, delayed recall
- No solution provides personalized, full-spectrum cognitive training
Potential Solutions
- Personalized cognitive stimulation: dynamic activities by cognitive area (modes: Chosen for You, Quick Training, Choose the Skill); progress tracking, gamified rewards, and decline alerts for family
- Connected with loved ones: share progress via WhatsApp or social media
- Shop: unlock complementary solutions to enhance the experience
- Offline mode: access Quick Training without internet; auto-sync when reconnected
Turning insights into ideas
Guided by these insights, I mapped the information architecture and key flows to keep navigation intuitive and easy to use, then built low-fi wireframes to test ideas and validate clarity.
Access & Onboarding
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Bringing it all to life
I defined a style guide tailored to seniors with large, legible typography, accessible colour contrast, predictable layouts, and a simple icon set, then applied it to hi-fi mockups and a clickable prototype. The result feels calm, friendly, trustworthy, and easy to learn.
Simpler routines. Healthier days. Happier lives.
Lifeasier shows that digital products for seniors can be a valuable aid: simple, elegant, and empowering. It is a companion for active and autonomous ageing.