An innovative iOS feature, to bridge the digital divide by enabling interactive screen sharing, recording, and dynamic playback for seamless remote tech support.
Brief
Older adults with limited technological skills face significant challenges in confidently using digital products and aren’t sure where to turn to.
Result
I developed an iOS feature that enhances the video call experience for older adults by enabling screen sharing with real-time annotations and replay-able sessions, making digital learning smoother and more accessible.
This is a design project where I wore the following hats:
User Research | Surveys, User Interviews, Observations
Prototyping + Wireframing | Figma
Research Synthesis | Figjam
Timeline | May '24 - August '24
Team | 2 designers, 1 researcher, 1 PM
Syncscape has the potential to support over 43 million people in the U.S. who face tech literacy barriers—especially older adults and their helpers.
Participants in our prototype testing reported a 60% drop in tech-related frustration after using Syncscape, citing "intuitive interaction" design and "feeling in control" as reasons.
Simulated testing (n=21) suggests that older adults who receive Syncscape-guided support feel up to 42% more confident in repeating the same tech task.
Older adults with limited technological skills face significant challenges in confidently using digital products and aren't sure where to turn.
Like many of us, I live away from my parents, and a regular routine interaction we have over calls is when they need my help with learning how to use a new app or feature on their phone. As routine as this experience might be, it can get highly charged. They struggle to keep up, feeling vulnerable and small. And I often repeat instructions till I grow weary and frustrated. This experience isn’t unique to me and my parents.
Older adults who are being left behind in the tech takeover often feel alienated and hesitate to approach their loved ones for repeated assistance.
While ways to provide remote tech support exist, none cater to the unique needs of our target demographic, older adults.
A few of the current solutions are themselves too complex and daunting for the less tech-savvy, and thus exacerbate the problem.
This is where Syncscape comes in.
It is an iOS-level feature designed to make remote tech support easier, more visual, and repeatable for older adults and their instructors.
It enables screen sharing and recording with annotations and playback of recorded sessions.
Designed for How Older Adults Actually Learn
Unlike traditional tutorials, Syncscape mimics in-person guidance and offers replayability, addressing the two most-cited learning preferences among older adults.
Built-In Familiarity, Zero New App Overhead
As an OS-level feature within the Apple ecosystem, Syncscape minimizes the learning curve and leverages existing user mental models for a less tech-savvy user group.
For research, I had 2 goals: one, confirm the problem exists and two, hear from the people directly to know where it hurts.
While 42% of adults aged 65 and older own smartphones, frustration and confusion with using technology persist among this population.
Many seniors express low confidence using digital technology, with only 26% feeling very confident with electronic devices.
Older adults report often requiring assistance to set up or learn to use new devices, indicating a lack of digital readiness.
Instructors shared that they assist their family most often with using tech
Demonstrating on the device is the most preferred method to assist
Over 50% of instructors found assisting using current methods challenging
I sorted the notes from surveys, interviews, and observational studies and categorized them to find commonalities.
Older adults strongly prefer in-person, hands-on guidance when learning to use technology. They find traditional digital tutorials less effective and often face information overload.
Forgetfulness and difficulty in remembering steps are common issues faced by older adults. Features that support repetitive learning and easy recall are essential for this demographic.
A significant portion of older adults feel intimidated by technology and many express the need for help in setting up and learning new devices.
Language barriers and general mistrust of technology are prevalent among older users. There is a clear need for simple, jargon-free communication and trustworthy platforms.
To narrow our scope and focus on the core challenges, I picked two pain points based on their priority rating and conceptualized what a solution would look like for each one.
Research brought up numerous insights into challenges faced by learners, however, a common theme was the emotional component: they often felt alienated and hesitant to ask for repeated help. The solution would need to focus on empowering the learners and mitigating their fear.
The initial ideation phase allowed for the exploration of potential solutions visually, translating user insights into tangible design ideas.
In ensuring a solution that caters to the target users' unique challenges, I iterated on different approaches to the user flow.
These approaches were put through rigorous testing to gain perspective on usability. Here are two such notable iterations.
We use a remote testing environment to conduct the usability testing in order to accommodate a more diverse participant pool.
We encourage participants to think out loud while interacting with Syncscape to understand why they take certain actions and how they react to it.
After the test, the participants provide open-ended feedback, highlighting any challenges they encounter and describing general attitudes towards Syncscape.
5 out of 5 participants failed to locate this critical feature without guidance.
To initiate Syncscape, users must access it in a concealed control center.
Concealed elements are a bigger hurdle for our target users than an average user.
4 out of 5 test participants made errors in figuring out the touch and drag interaction.
To switch between the different modes, users must perform novel interactions with the Dynamic Island.
To keep the solution user-centric, it must be simple and familiar to users.
The Syncscape experience is designed as a native iOS feature that enhances the video calling experience on iPhone and iPad devices.
It enables screen sharing and recording with annotations and playback of recorded sessions.
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