Helping Hand
Helping Hand is a self-initiated UX/UI design project I developed over the course of roughly one month, alongside my studies and work as a workingstudent. The project aims to create a community-driven app that connects elderly people needing support with local volunteers who want to help. It fosters meaningful social interaction, trust, and flexible assistance for everyday tasks.
Role
UX Designer
Time Limitations
02/2024 - 03/2024
Platform
Mobile
Tools
Figma
Overview
Inspired by personal observations and experiences with older family members, I set out to design a simple, accessible platform that encourages mutual help in local communities. The app focuses on bridging the gap between vulnerable elderly users and motivated volunteers by offering easy task matching, scheduling, and communication features.
Goal
Create an intuitive and accessible community app that seamlessly connects elderly individuals in need of support with local volunteers, fostering flexible assistance and meaningful social interaction in a safe environment.
Problem
Through initial research and personal observations, the following key problems were identified that motivated the project:
Accessibility Barriers:
Many elderly users face difficulties navigating complex apps due to small text, unclear UI, or overwhelming options.
Scheduling Challenges:
Both helpers and those needing help require flexible options to arrange one-time or recurring assistance that fits their availability.
Ineffective Matching:
There is a lack of efficient systems to match volunteers’ specific skills with the diverse needs of elderly individuals.
Social Isolation:
Drivers prioritized fast departures over comprehensive vehicle checks.
Safety & Trust Concerns:
Vulnerable elderly users need reliable mechanisms to verify helpers and feel safe inviting people into their homes.
Local Connection Need:
Users prefer engaging with helpers or requests in their immediate community to build trust and ease logistics.
Research
Research Questions
To address these identified challenges, the following research questions were formulated:
What challenges do elderly users face when using community-driven apps?
What accessibility features are essential for older adults in digital platforms?
How do volunteers prefer to find and schedule help opportunities?
What concerns exist around safety and trust in peer-to-peer assistance apps?
Which social features support engagement and long-term community building?
Interviews: Insights
Research for Helping Hand combined AI-driven analysis with informal feedback sessions involving elderly users and UX students to identify key challenges and needs in community-based assistance apps.
Key Insights:
Accessibility and Simplicity:
Both elderly users seeking help and younger volunteers emphasized the need for an easy-to-navigate interface with large, clear buttons and straightforward functionalities.
Flexible Scheduling:
Users from both groups require a scheduling feature that supports one-time and recurring tasks, accommodating volunteers’ availability and the elderly’s recurring needs.
Skill and Task Matching:
Volunteers bring specific skills and interests, while elderly users have diverse needs ranging from gardening to tech support. An effective matching system is essential.
Social Interaction:
Beyond completing tasks, users expressed a strong desire for social interaction. Features facilitating communication and fostering community are highly valued.
Local Community Focus:
Users prefer to connect within their local communities. Geolocation features that allow finding nearby help or volunteer opportunities are important.
Non-monetary Exchanges:
Although voluntary help is the focus, the app should also support non-monetary exchanges like shared meals or tokens of appreciation to enrich interactions.
Communicating Insights to Stakeholders
Proto-Personas
To better capture and communicate the diverse needs, motivations, and pain points of potential users, I created two proto-personas representing key user groups for the Helping Hand app. These proto-personas serve as practical tools to guide design decisions and ensure user-centered focus throughout the project.
The personas were developed based on a combination of AI-assisted research insights and informal feedback sessions with both elderly individuals and younger volunteers. By synthesizing these findings, the proto-personas help visualize typical users’ goals, challenges, and behavioral traits, providing a clear reference point for the design process.
The following two proto-personas illustrate the primary user archetypes: one seeking help and one offering assistance.
Ideate
Adressing User Requirements
From the outset, it was clear that Helping Hand would be an interactive community platform designed to facilitate meaningful connections and exchanges between elderly users seeking assistance and local volunteers offering help.
Based on research insights and project goals, I defined a comprehensive set of user requirements addressing the core needs of both helpers and seekers. These requirements include:
User Management & Profiles:
Include detailed profiles for both helpers and those seeking help, with options to list skills, needs, interests, and availability.
Establish safety protocols, including verification processes for volunteers and guidelines for safe interactions.
Task Management & Matching:
Users should be able to post tasks they need help with or browse tasks they can help with, categorized by type and location.
Implement an algorithm that matches users based on their needs, skills, location, and availability.
Communication & Scheduling:
Incorporate secure messaging and calling features within the app to facilitate clear communication between users.
Develop a scheduling system that allows users to set up and manage appointments, with reminders and calendar integration.
Trust, Safety & Feedback:
Implement a system for users to rate and review each other after a task is completed, enhancing trust and safety.
Accessibility & Usability:
Ensure the app is accessible, with high-contrast modes, large text options, and voice commands for users with different abilities.
Community Engagement & Support
Create a community board feature where users can share stories, ask for advice, and post community events.
Provide a section with tutorials, FAQs, and guides on using the app and tips for safely giving and receiving help.
These requirements shaped the foundation for the design and functionality of the app, ensuring it addresses both practical needs and community-building goals effectively.
Design Thinking Activities
To translate these requirements into actionable solutions, the following design thinking methods were applied:
Scribbles and Brainstorming:
Created early sketches and rough drafts to explore different layouts, workflows, and feature ideas.
Wireframing:
Developed low-fidelity wireframes in Figma to test app structure and navigation.
Visualized key features such as user profiles, task posting and browsing, matching algorithm flow, messaging, and scheduling.
Focused on accessibility and simplicity to ensure ease of use for elderly and volunteer users.
These activities ensured the concept remained user-centered, allowing early validation and iteration before moving to high-fidelity designs.
Prototype
High-Fidelity Prototyping
The high-fidelity prototype visualizes the complete user journey of the Helping Hand app, addressing all key user requirements. It was designed as an interactive and accessible solution, covering the entire process from task posting or browsing, through matching and scheduling, to communication and feedback. While some screens are highlighted in the portfolio, the prototype encompasses the full flow to demonstrate usability and design consistency across all touchpoints.
Key Features and Screens:
Community Dashboard
Overview of local offers and requests, enabling users to quickly find or post help opportunities. Shows recent activity and basic user info for each listing.
Listing & Details
A detailed view of a specific help request or offer, including the lister’s rating for trust and reliability.
Create Offer or Request
Simple, accessible form for users to post new tasks or offers, with options to categorize, describe, add images, and set scheduling preferences.
Search & Categories
Enables users to search for specific help or volunteer opportunities, filtered by categories like gardening, tech support, shopping, etc.
User Profile
Displays user information, active listings, and verification status to build trust and provide transparency.
Chats Overview
List of ongoing conversations with helpers or seekers, showing recent messages and easy access to chat threads.
Chat Conversation
Interactive messaging screen where users can communicate securely, send friend requests, and view task details.
Purpose of High-Fidelity Prototypes
The high-fidelity prototypes were essential for:
Demonstrating the feasibility and usability of the concept.
Providing a polished, interactive tool for user testing and validation.
Refining the design based on feedback to ensure the final product meets user needs.
Prototype Interactivity and Limitations
Due to time constraints and the absence of a developed backend, the prototype focuses on key workflows and functionalities. The screens simulate core user interactions but do not represent a fully functional app.
Anticipated Impact
If implemented, Helping Hand could significantly enhance community support by:
Increasing accessibility to local assistance for elderly users, helping them maintain independence longer.
Strengthening social bonds by facilitating meaningful interactions between helpers and those seeking support.
Reducing social isolation among older adults through regular, trusted community engagement.
Encouraging volunteerism by simplifying the process of finding and offering help.
Building trust with safety features like verified profiles, ratings, and secure communication.
Supporting scalable growth through additional community features and expanded local networks.