Designers
Designers
Designers
SoundNest
A playful audio memory tool that sparks intergenerational connection and reduces loneliness.
Key Words
Designers
Makena Kumfert
Yara Liora Chammah
Renee Zhang
SUMMARY
Loneliness affects one in three older adults in the US, contributing to severe health declines and reduced overall well-being. To solve this issue, we studied how nostalgia, storytelling, and memory recall can combat these negative effects. From this research, we created SoundNest - a playful storytelling app that helps older adults record, preserve, and share their memories. The result is a joyful tool that strengthens identity, health, and connections with the individual and family.
challenge
The aging population is rapidly growing, yet most digital products are not designed with them at the center. Through research and information gathering, we identified loneliness as a widespread and damaging issue. Loneliness in older adults is linked to mental health issues and severe physical health effects. We also recognized an issue in getting our product to our audience due to their tendencies for less interest in innovations. What they interact with, they have interacted with their whole lives. This revealed an opportunity to address loneliness through an audio experience designed for them yet marketed towards their younger loved ones.
Outcome
The project became SoundNest, a storytelling app that helps older adults preserve and share their memories through playful prompts that they can audio record and keep as lasting keepsakes. By using simple interactions and joyful prompts, SoundNest assists the aging generation’s loneliness issues while creating a special story memento for their younger family members. The outcome directly addresses gaps in the market by prioritizing accessibility over complexity and focusing on loneliness as a health issue, not just a social one. SoundNest meets older adults where they are, while creating lasting value for families and care communities.
MEET THE Designers:
Makena Kumfert
Yara Liora Chammah
Renee Zhang