Project overview
After a lifetime of work, what happens when purpose disappears? Retirement is not just a change in routine, but a complete transformation in a person’s life.
NEXO. An instant messaging application that enables more human connections by leveraging the experience of the wisest—retired older adults—promoting the exchange of wisdom and life experiences.
It offers a guided process to connect with retired adults, facilitating dialogue about life experiences, advice, and practical guidance in a simple and intuitive way.
Design challenge
“How might we integrate AI to help older adults in Catalonia stay active and mitigate loneliness during the transition from active social roles?”
Research process
Methodology
In terms of methodology, this project uses a mixed-methods approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Through in-depth interviews and direct observation, the goal was to understand the experiences and perspectives of older adults regarding loneliness and the transition into retirement, as well as to gain insight into their daily routines. In addition, quantitative data was collected through surveys to analyze the impact of loneliness and technology on this group.
To design user-centered solutions, tools such as empathy maps and user personas were used. On the other hand, for the validation process, usability testing of prototypes was conducted with potential users.
The entire process is carried out using the Design Thinking methodology, which includes the five fundamental steps: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. This methodology enables the development of innovative and accessible solutions that promote the well-being of older adults, ensuring that the integration of AI is both effective and ethical.
Our users’s voice
“I used to make a lot of daily visits when I was working; I talked to clients all day. Now that’s over.”
“I try to do productive things, always thinking about doing new things and working on projects.”
“The idea is not to get bored, to always have something to do, to look for something to get excited about — a purpose.”
“Everything runs on apps now. I really like everything related to technology, but I had to adapt and learn.”
User personas
Definition process
Based on the development of user personas, the creation of empathy maps, and the clustering of findings through the Affinity Diagram, we were able to identify three main themes that summarize the key challenges, needs, and emotions of retired older adults. These categories allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the user’s context and served as the foundation for generating insights that guided the design of the solution.
Insights
Insight 1 – TRANSITION
The fear of transition is not just about change itself, but about the uncertainty of losing routines, relationships, and purposes that have provided structure to their lives for decades.
Insight 2 – Active Routine
Retired older adults don’t seek activities merely to fill their free time; they do so with the desire to maintain meaningful connections and redefine their sense of purpose in this new stage of life after retirement.
Insight 3 – Technology
The distrust toward technology stems not only from a lack of knowledge, but also from accessibility barriers that hinder its integration into daily life, reducing practicality and causing frustration.
Once we completed the research phase and defined our initial insights, we were able to better understand the experiences and challenges many older adults face when retiring.
With all this information, we crafted our problem statement, which summarizes what we observed across four dimensions: the context of the transition, the concrete obstacles they face, the emotional and social impact it creates, and the opportunity to design solutions that support them through this stage in a safer and more positive way.
First conclusions of the project
“A retired older adult needs to find new ways to structure their daily activities and maintain a sense of belonging, as the loss of established routines can create an existential void and increase emotional uncertainty“
This statement became the starting point for guiding the ideation phase of the project.
Reference screens – Lo-Fi
Reference screens – Mid-Fi
Reference screens – High-Fi
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