How technology is changing the future of aged care

Ryman Healthcare is a leading provider of over 60 retirement villages across New Zealand and Australia. As pioneers in the aged care industry, their use of technology is one of the many ways they challenge the stereotype of ageing. 

Year

2022—Ongoing

Office

Auckland

Industry

Healthcare

Product

App

Our Roles

Design System

Product Design

User testing

iOS Development

Android Development

The Challenge

To build an intuitive app which encourages connection and engagement with Ryman village life. To make accessing information such as activity timetables and self-service options simple. The interface must be designed with the highest accessibility standards for both novice and tech savvy users with an average age of 80. Core app features should be scalable across all Ryman villages.

Our Approach

A deep understanding and empathy for the end user is always at the heart of our approach. We started by involving over 150 residents to deeply understand their everyday needs. Extensive user research - including 250 hours of interviews, co-design and testing - meant we could create a human-centered solution which residents would feel confident and independent using. By remaining agile in our development we were able to keep listening to user feedback and tweaking the app’s user experience.

The Outcome

Ryman retirement residents can now take control of how they spend their day and clearly see available events and outings, as well as save activities they may be interested in. Users receive notifications alerting them to important updates, or when saved events are about to begin. The app is built to gold-standard AAA visual accessibility standards. Design elements such as fonts and navigation are beautiful and functional, a rare combination in accessible design.

92%
92%
92%

Resident Satisfaction

74%
74%
74%

Greater sense of connection to the village

5.4
5.4
5.4

Average visits a week per resident

Village Resident

Having this app on my phone means I feel connected 24/7. Quick and easy.”