VitalMonitor: Designing for Trust & Seniors
The Challenge
VitalMonitor is an app for elderly patients to track chronic conditions. The existing market solutions were "clinical" and cold, often confusing users with small text and complex navigation. Our goal was to build an app that a 75-year-old with low tech literacy could use confidently.
My Role: Senior Product Designer
[Persona: Martha, 72, Low Vision]
Empathy & Research
I conducted user testing with 15 participants over the age of 65. The findings were eye-opening:
- Tremors: Standard buttons were too small to tap accurately.
- Confusion: Icons like "Hamburger Menus" or "Gear Icons" were meaningless to them.
- Anxiety: Users were terrified of "deleting something by accident."
"I don't want to break it. I just want to tell the doctor my blood pressure." — User Test Participant
Design Solution: Radical Simplicity
1. Accessibility First (WCAG AAA)
I made accessibility the baseline, not an afterthought:
- Typography: Used 'Inter' with a base size of 18px (scaled up from standard 16px) and high contrast (ratio 7:1).
- Touch Targets: All interactive elements were at least 60x60px (exceeding the 48px standard).
- Navigation: Replaced abstract icons with clear text labels (e.g., "Home", "My Health", "Settings").
2. The "Magic Link" Onboarding
Passwords are a major friction point. I designed a biometric login flow (FaceID/TouchID) and a "Magic Link" email system, eliminating the need for complex passwords.
[UI Flow: Simplified Onboarding]
Visual Design & Feedback
Seniors often struggle to know if they've successfully tapped a button. I implemented:
- Haptic Feedback: A gentle vibration upon successful data entry.
- Neumorphic Depth: Subtle shadows to make buttons look "pressable" and distinct from flat text.
Impact
- Adoption: 85% successful onboarding rate for users >70 years old.
- Trust: Daily logging adherence increased by 40%.
- Rating: 4.8/5 stars on the App Store, with reviews praising the "easy to read" design.