KÜBER  |  UX RESEARCH + PRODUCT DESIGN

Project Overview

KÜBER is a 10 week user-centered design and research project I worked on with 3 other teammates. Our goals were to research problems areas related to elderly isolation and to design a solution that would alleviate the pain points.

USER RESEARCH METHODS

In order to build diverse perspectives, we decided as a team to use the 3 research methods below, and then triangulate the collected data.

  1. Interviews
  2. Surveys
  3. Literature Reviews

The Problem: In synthesizing data, we found that many seniors lack access to transportation and want more face-to-face interactions, but they have difficulties adopting modern technology.

DESIGN PROCESS

  1. Ideation
  2. Wireframe
  3. Paper Prototype
  4. Usability Testing

The Solution: A accessible and non-tech savvy service that allows seniors living in assisted homes to find safe and convenient transportation easily.

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Research Brainstorming
Research Brainstorming

My team members and I all had an interest in the elderly health sector. We kicked off our project with a word map exercise to explore areas we think might be problems. Then we grouped the words to see if there were more problems that fell under one general category. We found that all the groups were surprisingly equal!

 

 

 

 

Ideation
Ideation

In the ideation phase, I lead brainstorming exercises to come up with a plethora of ideas. Each poster has a theme. The goal is for the team to write down as many ideas as possible in a 5 minute time frame. The only constraint is the theme for that poster. Otherwise, anything goes! We had so much fun coming up with silly, wild, and futuristic ideas.

At the end, we all voted on the best ideas and grouped them together. Then, we divided the ideas for sketching a more detailed version of how we visualize it will work.

 

 

 

Designing for Lonely Louise
Designing for Lonely Louise

We created a few personas based on our findings from the interviews, surveys, and literature reviews. Our primary persona, Lonely Louise, is a socially isolated senior who wants to get out and meet people face-to-face but does not have the means to get there and is not very tech savvy.

 

 

Wireframes
Wireframes

It took us some time, but finally we had settled on the idea of building a low-tech tactile box for the non-tech savvy seniors to order transportation to and from activities (our primary persona goals). My team and I had mapped out the most important tasks needed and sketched the layout for each side of the box, pictured here. 

 

 

Paper Prototype
Paper Prototype

According to our wireframes, we built a paper prototype to test its functionalities. By using arts and crafts, we were able to build the prototype quickly, easily modifying parts as they get updated, and the supplies were cost-effective.

A video of the prototype usability test is below.

 

 

 

Final Comp
Final Comp

We had two designers on the team, myself included, build high fidelity mockups of each face of the device. This time and date selection face is one of 5 Kuber faces.

 

 

 

Digital Mockup
Digital Mockup

Our usability tests with the paper prototype confirmed that our design was very user friendly so the next step was to build a digital rendering that more closely resembled the final product. This 3D wireframe of our 2D designs was created by another designer on our team in Adobe Illustrator so that we can visualize our final product.

The Final Result
The Final Result

This is a picture of our final product. Initially, we had decided to call the car service KÜBER as a fun play on words with the widely used car service ÜBER but then we realized that name actually fit our product - the KÜBE!

 

 

Final Mockup: The KÜBE
Final Mockup: The KÜBE

Introducing - The KÜBE

KÜBE is an in-home tactile device designed specifically for seniors who need assistance getting to a meeting or activity.  In addition to transportation, seniors are able to search for geo-driven activities on the same device. When all plans are booked, the itinerary is transferred to a smart reminder card which provides date, time, and location of pickup. We chose a credit card size for the smart card so that it is easily stored inside a wallet or pocket or worn with a strap to prevent loss.

Once the senior is finished with the activity, the card can be flipped over to call a return ride back home. The card has a GPS tracker built in, and the KÜBER service will know where to pick up. In the case that user cannot find the driver, the card acts as a walkie-talkie allowing for safe communication with the driver.

 

 

Video: Kübe V1 Prototype

Kübe is a low-tech device to schedule Küber rides to and from activities. The Kübe is designed for seniors to stay active and connected in order to combat the issues of social isolation that is associated with aging. This product is the result of our User Centered Design masters course at the University of Washington under the instruction of Rebecca Destello and Telle Zeiler during the Autumn 2015 Quarter.