Waymark Gardens Project (2023)

UX Research & Design:

Waymark Gardens is a senior living community located in Glendale, AZ.

The project began with a broad prompt:
Investigate “interactivity” and create an informed design .

  • Explore
    how interactivity shapes daily connection, engagement, and community life.

    Conduct
    immersive, qualitative research to uncover residents’ lived experience and identify design opportunities.

    Translate
    insights into a testable solution that supports accessibility and long-term usability.

  • The 12-week timeline was structured into three agile phases: 
    Observation, Interviews, and Design & Prototyping.

    This phased approach provided a flexible framework that allowed each stage to build on the last, enabling quick pivots, focused methods, and provided rich data for the final concept.

Explore more below - Where research meets reality.

Process Overview:

This section walks through each research phase, highlighting the questions, qualitative methods, and collaborative efforts used to uncover needs, identify barriers, and shape a design grounded in inclusion, connection, and long-term usability.

Research Questions:

  • How do residents engage with one another and their environment?

  • What barriers, social, technological, or environmental, limit participation?

Design Question:

  • How might I use accessible technology to foster stronger connections, participation, and independence at Waymark Gardens?

A photo of the waymark gardens townhall meeting observation.

Photo of Waymark Gardens Observation Phase

Phase Details:

  • Role:
    UX Researcher

    Focus:
    Understand resident behavior, engagement, and the community environment.

    Methods:

    • Fly-on-the-wall observation

    • AEIOU framework

    • Research planning sessions

    Key Insights:

    • Residents sought more connection post-pandemic, especially in underused shared spaces.

    • Tech openness existed, but clearer, more supportive tools were needed.

    • Many wanted easier ways to get to know others and to welcome new residents.

  • Role:
    UX Researcher

    Focus:
    Explore feasibility and sustainability through interviews with partners serving senior-focused programs.

    Methods:

    • Semi-structured interviews

    • Thematic analysis

    • Transcript review

    Key Insights:

    • Partners shared insights from both program delivery and direct work with seniors.

    • Long-term success depends on funding, staffing, structured planning, and community visibility.

    • These findings shaped a realistic solution scope aligned with Waymark’s capacity to sustain the concept long-term.

  • Role:
    Lead UX Researcher & Designer

    Focus:
    Translate research insights into a resident-centered, testable concept aligned with real needs and community goals.

    Methods:

    • Iterative design informed by prior research and stakeholder feedback

    • Interactive wireframes and a clickable prototype (Adobe XD)

    • Concept walkthroughs with residents and staff

    Key Features:

    • Resident bios and personalized calendars

    • Shared updates: events, alerts, and local resources

    • Messaging between residents and staff

Conclusions & Discussion:

“Tech is only good if people use it.”

This project showed how inclusive, context-aware design can foster meaningful interaction, even among users hesitant about changes and technology.

Collaboration and iterative research led to a concept that earned positive feedback and sparked interest in future implementation.

Tested prototype revision considerations based on findings. “
Click photo to expand

  • Continue usability testing:
    Explore how residents move through screens, make sense of content, and complete key tasks.

    Expand input on proposed features:
    Learn which parts of the app feel genuinely useful or worth returning to.

    UI design feedback:
    Share recommendations on layout clarity, accessibility, and senior-friendly interactions.

    Plan for sustainability:
    Suggest ways staff can keep content updated and support resident confidence over time.

    Clarify remaining gaps:
    Focus on unresolved needs and whether priorities should shift as the project evolves.

    • Limited participant reach:
      More resident, staff, and stakeholder voices would strengthen future insights.

    • Short timeline:
      Reduced opportunities for testing and iteration.

    • Varying tech comfort:
      Highlighted the need for UI options that support a range of digital literacy.

  • Key Contributors:

    • Dr. John Takamura (Project Instructor)

    • Waymark Gardens Residents, Staff, and Leadership

    Tools & Platforms Used:
    Adobe XD · Canva · Notion · Zoom (transcripts) · Google Docs

    Reference Materials:

    • Hanington, B. & Martin, B. (2017). Universal Methods of Design

    • Branaghan, R. et al. (2022). Humanizing Healthcare

    • Field notes, research protocols, Waymark project materials