Waymark Gardens Project
UX Research & Design (2023)
Exploring Community Interactivity @ Waymark Gardens, Glendale, AZ
Waymark Gardens—a 65+ senior living community—sought to enhance quality of life by increasing resident engagement and exploring new technologies.
The project began with a broad prompt: investigate “interactivity” and propose a research-informed design solution.
Collaborating with residents, staff, and leadership, I structured the project into three agile phases; observation, interviews, and prototyping—using qualitative UX methods to uncover needs, identify barriers, and design a solution that promotes connection, inclusion, and long-term usability.
Project Purpose
Explore how interactivity shapes engagement, communication, and quality of life within a senior living community.
Conduct immersive, human-centered research to understand lived experience and uncover design opportunities.
Translate findings into an inclusive, testable solution that supports accessible, tech-enabled connection.
UX Focus Questions
How do residents engage with one another and their environment?
What barriers—social, technological, or environmental—limit participation?
How might design promote everyday interaction and strengthen community support?
Process Overview
This agile, qualitative UX project unfolded across three phases—using observation and interviews to uncover community needs and translate them into a practical, testable design solution.
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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.
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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.
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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
UX Design Question
How might we use accessible technology to foster stronger connection, participation, and independence at Waymark Gardens?
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 technology. Stakeholder collaboration and iterative research led to a concept that earned positive feedback and sparked interest in future implementation.
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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.
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Key Contributors:
Dr. John Takamura (Project Instructor)
Waymark Gardens Residents, Staff, and Leadership
Tools & Platforms Used:
Adobe XD · Canva · Notion · Zoom (transcripts) · Google DocsReference Materials:
Hanington, B. & Martin, B. (2017). Universal Methods of Design
Branaghan, R. et al. (2022). Humanizing Healthcare
Field notes, research protocols, Waymark project materials