Designers
Designers
Designers
TimeSphere
A trusted audio platform for learning and lifelong curiosity
Key Words
Designers
Sophia Pal
Allegra Giardinia Mantellassi
Kailin Li
SUMMARY
TimeSphere began with a simple question: how might older adults reconnect with history, culture, and personal memory through a simple, trustworthy audio experience designed around how they think and learn across time? Through research, interviews, and prototyping, we discovered that adults 55–70 seek clarity, context, and trust in audio learning. We designed TimeSphere as a guided, spoken-word experience that lets users explore history year by year, supported by Tempo, a calm conversational AI companion. The result is an accessible, dignified way to reconnect with the past and support lifelong curiosity.
challenge
Through interviews, research, and stakeholder mapping, we identified that older adults feel underserved by current audio platforms, which prioritize speed, volume, and algorithmic feeds over clarity and context. They need trustworthy guidance, simple navigation, and explanations that support learning rather than discovery fatigue. Cultural institutions face a parallel gap: reaching older audiences digitally without compromising credibility. This creates an opportunity for a guided audio experience that aligns user needs with institutional trust, lowering adoption friction while deepening engagement.
Outcome
The project resulted in TimeSphere, a guided audio platform that organizes listening through time rather than algorithms. Designed specifically for adults 55–70, it addresses the need for clarity, trust, and context by offering structured year-based exploration, short summaries, and conversational guidance through Tempo. This outcome directly responds to gaps in existing audio platforms by reducing overwhelm, supporting learning-driven listening, and enabling cultural institutions to extend trusted content into a calm, accessible digital experience.
MEET THE Designers:
Sophia Pal
Allegra Giardinia Mantellassi
Kailin Li