På Strak Arm
– Create life long memories in this
challenge-app, ment to unite generations
8 weeks
UX research & UI design
Teamwork
A 3 minute read
The task
With roots in the pandemic, the task was to create a digital product to encourage contact between grandparents and their grandchildren
The solution
"På Strak Arm" is an app that encourages people to send each other everyday challenges, such as making waffles or drawing a drawing. The challenge can be solved together over video call, or separately.
Insight
Meet our interviewees and tester
Geir (67)
- He is a retired teacher, with a big social network.
- He has two grandchildren, who live far away. They facetime often.
Pains
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They miss being a part of their everyday life
They miss making memories together
They want a reason to have contact, the children are often distracted if they just call to talk.
Karin (72)
- Mostly sees her family physically, otherwise she calls to keep in touch.
- She fills the day with hobbies, and get a lot of pleasure from those activities.
Gains
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They both own a iPad, Geir likes it a lot because the phone screen is often too small
They want to meet their grandkids on their terms
“I am a type of grandpa, if they would ask me to bring down the moon I would give it a try”
– Geir (67)
?
Research question:
How can we make an exciting shared arena where grandparents and grandchildren can share experiences, and in that way maintain a personal contact
These highlighted words are the values on which the solution is
build, and possible solutions are brainstormed
Solution
Doing challenges together creates memories
Explore each others interests across generations
Whatever tempo fits you best: via videochat or individually
A memory book
is perfect to look back at memories
Prototype
Usertest 1 – low-fidelity prototype
All in all this is a concept they would use, if the granchildren recomended it.
What did we learn?
- A convention for us =/ convention for everyone Therefore: use text to support icons and buttons
- The process of choosing a challenge wasn’t clear
- Use realistic challenges, otherwise they wouldn’t use it “I wouldn’t take my iPad to go up a mountain”
Usertest 2 - first high-fidelity prototype
“I wasn’t afraid of pressing wrong, which is what I’m usually scared of"
What did we learn?
- They prefer to use the iPad horisontal
- The hierarchy on the main page was confusing
- Some wording had to be more clear
Redesign
When taking a step back our design didn’t match the values we were going for, and we decided to redesign the app. The user tests went smoothly afterwards, and had feedback concerning details, not the structure of the app
Turn the screen
Spin the wheel for a new challenge
Design
Exciting
A colorful and vibrant design with a tough block type font supports the value word exciting, and makes the app stand out. While still being attractive to children, without it becoming childish.
Apex MK3
Din 2014
Din 2014
Experiences
With the whole concept based around challenges, and with some activities along the way, such as spinning a wheel to get a challenge, or setting the clock when planning a challenge, the app is an experience in itself. The activities help to take care of the children's interests. The tone of the voice is light and playful, and is part of the experience
Personal
The purpose of the app is to create personal contact between grandparents and their grandchildren. This is supported by the private space they have together, and the use of their photos and names, in rounder and more comfortable forms. Illustrations help to create a human sphere in the app. Finally, the memory book is central tool in making the experiences personal
The most personal of all features: The memory book
Reflection
About the solution
By creating a space where two participants can meet, and create memories together and bond with their own interests, we maintain and strengthen the contact between two generations. The solution fulfills the wishes that the grandparents have expressed
About my experience
This is the first digital project I’ve ever created, and it has opened a whole new world of involving the user. It has been a great learning opportunity, and has made me even more excited to explore what I can do to help different people, and what else is our there in the UX-world
