Stepwise

Building an agentic AI-driven companion empowering older generations to bridge the digital gap, fostering equity, confidence, and meaningful social inclusion.
Building an agentic AI-driven companion empowering older generations to bridge the digital gap, fostering equity, confidence, and meaningful social inclusion.

Role

Lead Product Designer

Lead Product Designer

Tools/Skills

Figma, Miro, AI, Qualtrics, Procreate

Figma, Miro, AI, Qualtrics, Procreate

Team

1 Design Partner

1 Design Partner

Duration

Ongoing as part of Parsons' Entrepreneurship Lab

Ongoing as part of Parsons' Entrepreneurship Lab

PROBLEM

As technology advances, many older adults are being left behind, struggling to stay connected and independent

While my generation are digital natives, people ages 55 and older are often considered digital immigrants. They frequently rely on their children or services like the Genius Bar to navigate phones or computers. At times, they may feel too embarrassed to ask for help, or support may not always be available. Although they want to stay connected across generations, the learning curve can be significant.

SOLUTION

Introducing Stepwise

Empowering older generations to bridge the gap to encourage digital equity, confidence, and social inclusion

PRIMARY RESEARCH

Interviews highlighted the emotional and cultural barriers that influence how older adults seek (or avoid) technological support

When surveying potential users of this application, I wanted to hear two perspectives: older adults navigating the digital world and the family members who support them. I interviewed five older adults, ages 57 to 89, and three of their children or grandchildren, ages 22 to 26.

From these conversations, I learned that older adults often rely on their children for support, but the children are not always available. Many older adults want to learn and use digital tools, yet they feel embarrassed to ask for help, particularly among immigrant parents. They dislike feeling like a burden, and as a result, often avoid using technology altogether. Sometimes they wait until their children are home before attempting tasks, patiently putting their own needs on hold so as not to inconvenience anyone.

Secondary Research

Older adults want to learn, but current systems often make them feel excluded, incapable, or patronized

Competitive Analysis

Existing tools complete tasks but don’t build confidence

Competitors like GrandPad, GreatCall, Apple’s Genius Bar, and voice assistants often offer rigid support or rely on hard-to-access human help. While they include accessibility features, interfaces focus on speed over learning, limit customization, and rarely adapt to users’ pace, confidence, or privacy needs.

Design Goals

Stepwise aims to be the training wheels of the digital age for the older generation, a re-entry that allows them to feel confident. A support system until they no longer need it!

Personas & Their Journey

Conceptualizing the older adult user

Eleanor is a spry 72-year-old retired librarian who loves to read, garden, and spend time with her grandchildren. She's generally independent and embraces new experiences, but technology can sometimes be a hurdle, leading to moments of frustration and confusion. She owns a smartphone, primarily for calls and photos, but struggles with navigating apps she doesn't use frequently.

"Oh, this phone... I swear it has a mind of its own sometimes! I just wish it would tell me what to do plainly."

Frustrations/Pain Points:

  • Forgetting how to access or use specific apps.

  • Feeling like technology is "moving too fast" for her to keep up.

  • Fear of "breaking" something on her phone.

  • Not wanting to constantly ask her grandchildren for help.

  • Small text and complex icons on phone screens.

User Journey

Placing the support-seeking persona in a context scenario helps identify the required actions the platform needs to support

Design System

Balancing simplicity, clarity, and respect in Interface Design

Guided by WCAG guidelines and using Figma Able, I designed the app with simple, clean layouts to make navigation intuitive. During testing, I noticed that older adults respond best to language that is clear and encouraging without feeling patronizing. By choosing wording that respects users’ intelligence and carefully balancing simplicity with clarity, the interface supports learning and confidence while remaining approachable.

Wire-framing & Usability Testing

Building intuitive flows that promote skill retention and digital confidence

  • 1. Skill Retention

    Insight: Users could complete tasks successfully but often forgot steps afterward, revealing a risk that the app might become a crutch rather than a tool for learning and building confidence.

    Decision: Add features that reinforce skill retention, including repeatable step summaries, optional reminders, and contextual prompts. These help users internalize processes while still receiving support.

  • 2. Accessibility & Usability

    Insight: Even with progress tracking in V2, users faced barriers such as login difficulties and readability issues, which limited consistent engagement and independent learning.

    Decision: Improve accessibility and usability in V3 with adjustable font sizes, a simplified 4-digit PIN login, and smoother device connectivity.

  • 3. Desktop navigation visibility

    Insight: Users sometimes missed the sidebar navigation, but overly prominent navigation could block content.

    Decision: Optimize sidebar design to balance visibility with unobtrusiveness, ensuring easy access to controls without interfering with content or workflow.

Final Outcome

Stepwise: A tool that builds digital skills and self-efficacy for older adults

Solution Highlights

Stepwise builds skills with care and process

Empowering Independence


Users are intelligent and capable, and they want to feel confident using technology. The app anticipates their needs and provides on-demand support, guiding them gently while teaching the skills they need to navigate devices independently over time.

Empowering Independence

Users are intelligent and capable, and they want to feel confident using technology. The app anticipates their needs and provides on-demand support, guiding them gently while teaching the skills they need to navigate devices independently over time.

Empowering Independence


Users are intelligent and capable, and they want to feel confident using technology. The app anticipates their needs and provides on-demand support, guiding them gently while teaching the skills they need to navigate devices independently over time.

Prioritizing Accessibility


As users’ physical abilities change, accessibility becomes especially important. Features like voice assistance ensure they can continue using the app comfortably and independently.


Prioritizing Accessibility


As users’ physical abilities change, accessibility becomes especially important. Features like voice assistance ensure they can continue using the app comfortably and independently.


Prioritizing Accessibility


As users’ physical abilities change, accessibility becomes especially important. Features like voice assistance ensure they can continue using the app comfortably and independently.

Respecting Privacy


Privacy is extremely important to users. The app provides robust privacy settings and secure, personalized login options that are easy to access, giving them confidence and peace of mind while using the app.

Respecting Privacy

Privacy is extremely important to users. The app provides robust privacy settings and secure, personalized login options that are easy to access, giving them confidence and peace of mind while using the app.

Respecting Privacy


Privacy is extremely important to users. The app provides robust privacy settings and secure, personalized login options that are easy to access, giving them confidence and peace of mind while using the app.

Takeaways

Stepwise supports the empowering of older adults through thoughtful design

Project outcomes

When measuring task completion and retention with 5 older adults… First attempt: 3 out of 5 completed tasks successfully in an average of 9 minutes. One week later: 4 out of 5 completed the same tasks correctly without guidance. All participants reported increased confidence and found the step-by-step guidance helpful. These results demonstrate that Stepwise supports both immediate task completion and long-term skill retention, promoting independence and digital literacy.

Why this matters

Watching my dad and seeing other older adults navigate life, I have observed how capable and intelligent they are and the challenges they face with technology. Many digital systems are not designed for their needs, creating a new form of digital "immigration." Technology must be applied thoughtfully because, in some cases, it can do more harm than good. If AI is part of our future, it should be used purposefully and respectfully, given the high stakes and potential consequences.

Looking ahead

Through the Parsons Impact Entrepreneurship Fellowship, I am exploring the challenges older adults face in the digital world, including vulnerability to misinformation and scams. I aim to design tools that help recognize deepfakes and build digital confidence while incorporating offline programs that allow users to learn at their own pace. Caregivers and peer tutors are essential in this process, highlighting the need for technology that supports and extends human guidance rather than replaces it.

Project outcomes

When measuring task completion and retention with 5 older adults… First attempt: 3 out of 5 completed tasks successfully in an average of 9 minutes. One week later: 4 out of 5 completed the same tasks correctly without guidance. All participants reported increased confidence and found the step-by-step guidance helpful. These results demonstrate that Stepwise supports both immediate task completion and long-term skill retention, promoting independence and digital literacy.

Why this matters

Watching my dad and seeing other older adults navigate life, I have observed how capable and intelligent they are and the challenges they face with technology. Many digital systems are not designed for their needs, creating a new form of digital "immigration." Technology must be applied thoughtfully because, in some cases, it can do more harm than good. If AI is part of our future, it should be used purposefully and respectfully, given the high stakes and potential consequences.

Looking ahead

Through the Parsons Impact Entrepreneurship Fellowship, I am exploring the challenges older adults face in the digital world, including vulnerability to misinformation and scams. I aim to design tools that help recognize deepfakes and build digital confidence while incorporating offline programs that allow users to learn at their own pace. Caregivers and peer tutors are essential in this process, highlighting the need for technology that supports and extends human guidance rather than replaces it.

Project outcomes

When measuring task completion and retention with 5 older adults… First attempt: 3 out of 5 completed tasks successfully in an average of 9 minutes. One week later: 4 out of 5 completed the same tasks correctly without guidance. All participants reported increased confidence and found the step-by-step guidance helpful. These results demonstrate that Stepwise supports both immediate task completion and long-term skill retention, promoting independence and digital literacy.

Why this matters

Watching my dad and seeing other older adults navigate life, I have observed how capable and intelligent they are and the challenges they face with technology. Many digital systems are not designed for their needs, creating a new form of digital "immigration." Technology must be applied thoughtfully because, in some cases, it can do more harm than good. If AI is part of our future, it should be used purposefully and respectfully, given the high stakes and potential consequences.

Looking ahead

Through the Parsons Impact Entrepreneurship Fellowship, I am exploring the challenges older adults face in the digital world, including vulnerability to misinformation and scams. I aim to design tools that help recognize deepfakes and build digital confidence while incorporating offline programs that allow users to learn at their own pace. Caregivers and peer tutors are essential in this process, highlighting the need for technology that supports and extends human guidance rather than replaces it.

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