Sage: Passing Wisdom to Next Generations

Three questions for the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The UX challenge of the Sage project was designing two distinct user interfaces tailored to different user demographics: young mentees using the mobile app and elderly mentors using the custom Sage device. Ensuring age-friendly interfaces for seniors while maintaining a modern and intuitive design for mentees required careful consideration of usability, accessibility, and user preferences. Balancing the need for simplicity and functionality on the Sage device, with features like larger fonts, intuitive physical buttons, and easy troubleshooting path, while providing a seamless mobile app experience for mentees, presented a UX challenge in catering to diverse user needs and ensuring a positive user experience for both generations.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
One highlight of the development process was synthesizing research insights into a sustainable profit-earning system for seniors and validating concepts with potential users. The team was initially surprised by the research findings - studies show that around 80% of Americans over 60 face financial insecurity due to insufficient retirement savings (NCA), while about 70% of older adults experience social isolation due to reduced connections and mobility (based on surveys with 34 seniors). It was a significant breakthrough for our team to design a unique solution for this aging population so that seniors can enhance their quality of life and contribute to society by fostering intergenerational connections and knowledge sharing.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
Sage could expand its user base and reach more seniors and young adults seeking mentorship opportunities. This growth could result in a larger community benefiting from the platform's services. Over the next five years, Sage might invest in further enhancing its technology, both on the Sage device and the mobile app. This could involve introducing new features, improving user experience, and ensuring the platform remains user-friendly for seniors and mentees. Sage may explore partnerships with organizations, institutions, or businesses to advance its mission of connecting seniors with young adults. Collaborations could help expand the platform's reach, offer additional resources to users, and create more opportunities for mentorship.