Bridging Circles
My Role
Timeline
Tools
Solo UX/UI Designer, Research, Ideation, Wireframes, Low Fidelity design, High Fidelity Design, Prototyping, Illustrations
8 months
Miro, Figma, Illustrator
A digital platform designed to help older adults, especially immigrants reconnect through gentle, meaningful interactions. By focusing on memories, conversation style, and cultural familiarity, the platform offers a calm, accessible experience that fosters connection and reduces social isolation.
The Problem
Social isolation and loneliness are growing public health concerns among older adults, deeply affecting emotional well-being and cognitive health.
For many aging adults, connection becomes harder as communities shrink and routines change. Older adults often face loneliness due to reduced mobility, changing family dynamics, and the gradual loss of familiar social bonds. For immigrants, this distance is deepened not just socially, but culturally as they navigate new environments without the shared language, traditions, or community they once knew. While digital platforms offer connection, they often fail to feel familiar, warm, or emotionally safe. This growing disconnection isn’t just emotional but also linked to serious risks like depression, memory decline, and a diminished sense of purpose.
How Might We?
How might we design emotionally meaningful and culturally familiar digital experiences to reduce social isolation and foster a sense of connection among older adults, especially immigrants?
Solution
Bridging Circles - A digital platform designed to foster emotional connection through gentle, story-driven design.
Instead of relying on traditional filters or profiles, the platform uses memory-based prompts, soft conversation starters, and intuitive visual cues to help older adults feel seen and understood. It offers accessible, low-pressure ways for older adults to discover people and activities around them, even when they don’t know where to begin. By centering warmth, familiarity, and cultural sensitivity, the platform helps users build genuine connections at their own pace.
Research
To design a meaningful solution for older adults experiencing social isolation, I began with an in-depth research phase that combined secondary research, user interviews, and competitive analysis.
1. Secondary Research
I began by exploring academic literature and public data to better understand the depth and nuances of social isolation and loneliness among older adults. I focused on aging trends, health impacts, and how culture, mobility, and digital literacy influence connectedness.
2. Primary Research
I interviewed three older adults, aged 65–85, from diverse backgrounds. While not my exact target demographic, these conversations revealed how they maintain active, socially engaged lifestyles through activities like volunteering, fitness classes, and community programs.
3. Affinity Mapping
I synthesized my interview data into themes using affinity mapping. Key clusters included:
4. Competitive/ Comparitive Analysis
I analyzed similar platforms and community initiatives. While they aimed to promote senior engagement, most:
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Lacked multilingual options
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Had poor navigation and small font sizes
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Didn’t account for cultural sensitivity or immigrant experiences
Gap Identified: Few platforms intentionally design for older immigrant adults.
Project Goals
So even though the participants weren’t all immigrants, their experiences highlighted universal barriers and bridges to connection. I used those learnings to create a platform that aims to support immigrant and newcomer older adults—with warmth, relevance, and ease.
