Let's Ride

Designed and tested a mobile app concept that helps older immigrants stay connected, discover local activities, and navigate everyday life with greater confidence.

Role

UX/UI Design

Project Overview

Background and Context

Older adults are often overlooked by digital products, especially when language barriers and unfamiliar technology come into play. For immigrants, these challenges can be compounded by smaller social networks and limited access to support.

In the 1990s, approximately 60,000 Soviet immigrants arrived in Israel each year. Many are now over 60. Drawing on experiences in my own family and community, I spoke with people from this generation to understand the practical and social barriers they encounter in everyday life.

My Role

Led UX and UI design from research through prototyping and testing, including custom illustrations and accessibility-focused flows.

Business Objective

UX Approach

Accelerate client conversion

🎯 Immediate insights & value through landing pages & visualizations

Reduce training costs

🎯 Simplified workflows & streamlined navigation

Enhance sales demo effectiveness

🎯 Improved data visualizations to showcase sustainability insights

Ensure frustration-free user flows

🎯 Task-oriented design for a smoother, intuitive experience

Outcomes

Built and tested a fully localized prototype with older Russian-speaking immigrants. Testing showed that participants could navigate the core ride-finding flow, while feedback indicated strong interest in a service that could make getting around and staying socially active easier.

Inclusive Design

Designed for older adults with clear text, big touch targets, and minimal steps.

Visual Comfort

Used warm visuals and custom illustrations to create a welcoming feel.

Positive Feedback

Participants expressed strong interest in using the app.

Social Connection

Encouraged independence and helped users feel more connected and active.

This is a walkthrough of the core passenger flow. (The original app was designed in Russian to match the needs of the target audience.)

Research Methods

To understand the audience, I combined secondary research with interviews and community input.

7 in-depth interviews
Interviewed older Russian-speaking immigrants, supported by informal conversations with family members and caregivers.
Secondary research + survey
Explored technology habits, demographic context, and recurring challenges through existing research, an online survey, and community groups.

Insights

Social Isolation & Emotional Needs

Social circles often became smaller over time, while asking for help could feel uncomfortable.
Language and cultural barriers made forming new connections harder.

Digital Friction in Daily Life

Unfamiliar services created friction, particularly around language and complex flows.
Family members often became the fallback for everyday digital tasks.

Technology Habits & Accessibility

Familiar Russian-language services and WhatsApp dominated existing habits.
Research into age-related cognitive and visual changes highlighted the importance of clear guidance, readable interfaces, and simple step-by-step flows.

Persona and User Journey Highlights

Tatyana, 72

Tatyana immigrated from Russia with her children 30 years ago. While her family still lives in Israel, she now lives alone. She stays connected with them through WhatsApp and familiar Russian-language apps, but often finds unfamiliar digital services confusing. Independent by nature, she’s hesitant to ask for help.

Problem

Older immigrants want to stay active and socially engaged, but limited finances, shrinking social circles, and unfamiliar technology can make this increasingly difficult. Many are also reluctant to ask for help, even when they feel isolated.

This raised a broader question: how could everyday social participation become easier and more accessible, without making people feel dependent on others?

From insight to concept

The research pointed to a recurring tension: people wanted to stay active and independent, but transportation costs and limited mobility often got in the way.

Combined with Israel’s transportation constraints, this led to a community-based ride-sharing concept designed for older Russian-speaking immigrants.

Public transport in Israel is inactive on weekends, leaving many dependent on private vehicles.
The Russian-speaking community tends to be conservative; many older women don’t drive. Often divorced and living alone, they lack affordable transport options.
The app could provide an affordable, volunteer-based, practical tool - and perhaps, through shared rides, quietly help foster community and connection.

Early Exploration

I explored key flows and microcopy in Russian, focusing on welcoming and human tone and clarity for older users. These quick sketches helped define screen content and build confidence before wireframing.

Wireframes

I created user flows and wireframes for two key user paths: offering a ride and finding a ride - ensuring both were intuitive and accessible for older adults.

Two parallel paths: offering a ride and finding one

Final UI screens designed in Russian to reflect the language and needs of the target audience.

Welcome Screen

Invites users to explore the app with a warm illustration and clear value proposition.

Role selection

Allows users to choose whether they are a passenger or a driver before starting.

Search overview

Prompts users to enter destination details with gentle guidance from the character.

Typing in address

Allows users to search for specific destinations with auto-suggested results.

Destination & date selected

Confirms selected origin, destination, and date with a clear CTA to find rides.

Available rides

Displays matching ride options with times, profiles, and the ability to review the details.

Ride details

Shows selected ride route, available seats, and group chat preview for coordination.

Booking request confirmation

Celebrates successful booking and reassures users that the driver will be notified.

My rides

Displays upcoming and past rides, with clear status indicators and entry points.

My rides: empty state

Displays an inviting empty state when no rides are planned, encouraging next steps.

Role selection

Allows users to choose whether they are a passenger or a driver before starting.

Search overview

Prompts users to enter destination details with gentle guidance from the character.

Typing in address

Allows users to search for specific destinations with auto-suggested results.

Destination & date selected

Confirms selected origin, destination, and date with a clear CTA to find rides.

Welcome Screen

Invites users to explore the app with a warm illustration and clear value proposition.

Role selection

Allows users to choose whether they are a passenger or a driver before starting.

Search overview

Prompts users to enter destination details with gentle guidance from the character.

Typing in address

Allows users to search for specific destinations with auto-suggested results.

Destination & date selected

Confirms selected origin, destination, and date with a clear CTA to find rides.

Available rides

Displays matching ride options with times, profiles, and the ability to review the details.

Ride details

Shows selected ride route, available seats, and group chat preview for coordination.

Booking request confirmation

Celebrates successful booking and reassures users that the driver will be notified.

My rides

Displays upcoming and past rides, with clear status indicators and entry points.

My rides: empty state

Displays an inviting empty state when no rides are planned, encouraging next steps.

Visual Direction

To support older users, I developed a warm, approachable visual language that prioritizes clarity without feeling clinical or overly simplified.

Color Palette

Muted blues and soft neutrals create a calm foundation, with stronger contrast for readability and warm accents to guide attention.

Typography

Large, highly legible type and generous line spacing support comfortable reading across different visual abilities.

Iconography

Simple, familiar icons are paired with text to reduce ambiguity and support recognition.

Illustration Style

A recurring character acts as a friendly guide throughout the experience, making instructions feel more human and less like system prompts.

Animated Character Styles

Learnings

Designing for older adults challenged me to prioritize clarity, empathy, and accessibility: lessons that have reshaped how I think about product design.

Designing for clarity

Designing for older adults taught me how important it is to reduce friction: details like font size and wording make a difference. I also learned that emotional comfort matters just as much as usability.

Extracting honest insights

User interviews often revealed indirect or understated feedback. I learned to listen between the lines and ask deeper questions to uncover real challenges that users didn’t always verbalize.

A human-first interface

Warm visuals, conversational tone, and a helpful character helped reduce intimidation. I explored how visual language can make a product feel like a companion, not a tool, especially for hesitant or isolated users.

Next Steps

Custom experiences for passengers and drivers, addressing their unique needs.
Safety enhancements, such as emergency contact sharing or ride verification.
Onboarding refinements to better support new users navigating the app for the first time.