Product Design
Open For Work
UXUI Design
Visual Design
Product Design
Open For Work
UXUI Design
Visual Design

Family Care Coordination:
WayWiser's B2C Social Networking Mobile Application

Full Development Lifecycle
Product Design
Accessibility Design
IntroInitiativesAccessibility Your Trusted Circle
Permissions & Privacy
Task Management
Launch
Conclusion
Designs

UXUI Designer

2020-2021

I started at WayWiser as a contractor and quickly accepted a full time position when I learned of the intentions and goals of this, at the time, seed funded Austin startup — protect vulnerable adults from exploitation and maintain connection with familial and caregiving support. An often overlooked demographic, a family caregivers' average age is  49 years old, and 34% of those are over 65 years old. These caregivers often find themselves overwhelmed managing responsibilities and our constantly evolving technology that can make them vulnerable to scams and other digital threats. The goal of WayWiser was to be a central place for communication, monitoring, support and education on how to prevent exploitation.

// Intro

The Challenges

Our primary user persona ages ranged from 49 to 65+. Technology literacy was also a wide spectrum, and we could expect that these Users would have some level of vision decline due to age. The application will house sensitive information regarding to the daily schedule, medication and financial situation of the individual receiving care. This posed unique challenges centered around accessibility and privacy:

Prioritizing Visual, Motor/Mobility and Cognitive Accessibility

Providing Customizable User Access Permissions

Reducing Cognitive Load with a Simple and Intuitive UI

Optimizing Feature Sets Found In Similar Apps (ie. Facebook)

// Intro

The Initiatives

Because the mobile application was is the beginning stages, there was a lot things that needed pioneering:

Develop a Design System

I was the first UXUI Designer hired on, so there was no existing components or baseline. I had to establish the standard to ensure consistent visual design as the app scaled.

Provide Frictionless Self Onboarding

This was particularly important because we expected Users to have varying levels of technical expertise.

Simplify Social Media to Trusted Individuals

Important updates about their loved ones to be overlooked due to the distractions on other social media applicaitons. Our goal was to create a streamlined social network that prioritized meaningful connections, ensuring caregivers could stay focused on what matters most.

Consolidate Various Caregiving Tasks

The responsibilities of a caregiver are vast and often overwhelming. We aimed to provide an event scheduler and task tracker to not only assist the primary caregiver, but to also inform other members of their trusted inner circle.
Initiative Solution

An Accessible Design System

We prioritized accessibility so out users could enjoy an inclusive experience that accommodates diverse needs and preferences, regardless of age.
// An Accessible Design System

Larger Touch Targets

We doubled the size of the Human Interface Guidelines's recommended 44x44px touch targets for components such as buttons and form fields.
// An Accessible Design System

Dynamic Type Supported

Scalability of components and text sizes was a key consideration, as we support Dynamic Type, a feature introduced in iOS 7 that automatically adjusts an application's text to the user's preferred size. At the time, there was no direct equivalent on Android.
Example of component scaling on iOS devices
// Building Your Trusted Circle

Advanced Deep Linking

To improve user acquisition, we provided seamless pathways to our app through deep linking. A Trusted Circle invite via text message or email will be most user's first interaction with the WayWiser application. With deferred deep links, we allowed users to preview the value of the app before urging them to install.
// Building Your Trusted Circle

Account Creation

Users are able to create an account for themselves or on behalf of someone, usually the person who is receiving care.
Initiative Solution

Task Management

We designed an event scheduler and task manager to support the primary caregiver while keeping the trusted inner circle informed and in sync.
// Task Management

Managing Events & Transparency

Members of the Trusted Circle often live in different locations, making coordination challenging. Scheduling events within the Trusted Circle ensures everyone stays informed about daily routines and key moments in the care recipient's day. This transparency offers peace of mind and, combined with the Task Manager, gives primary caregivers the support they need.

Conclusion

Working at WayWiser provided me with a unique opportunity to design for a demographic often overlooked in the tech industry. It made me a more intentional designer, where accessibility became a core consideration throughout my design process. Contributing to the early stages of app development through to launch gave me invaluable insight into the depth of collaboration and effort required to bring a product to life.
I look forward to hearing from you
gaby@mexi.design