Product Design
UX Research
Hardware Exploration
Interaction Design
Usability Testing & Analysis
Overview
Adults and their parents want to stay close but busy lives, guilt, and technology barriers get in the way. I designed Pocket Pad, a cross-generational communication system that combines a tactile note device for parents with an iOS widget for adults to make connection simple and genuine.
What I did
I led the design of the iOS widget from concept to prototype, ran usability tests and guided feature prioritization, and contributed design components to the shared design system for coherence across devices. I collaborated with 2 researchers and 2 designers over 10 weeks.
The Challenge
Text threads and video calls felt like chores. Both generations described guilt about not reaching out enough.
“I miss eating dinner and talking about our days in person. We also aren't able to do any activities together.”
- Parent
How might we help families share everyday moments and build stronger support systems without the pressure or effort of constant communication?
Impact
Understanding the Problem
Secondary Research
6 academic papers and 7 community forums on long distance family dynamics.
Surveys
60+ responses from adults living apart from parents.
User Interviews
5 adults and 4 parents on what “staying close” means.
3 Tensions Emerged.
Guilt and hesitation prevented outreach.
Digital communication felt unnatural, which fail to replicate shared physical experiences.
Asymmetric communication needs: Adults wanted low effort and parents wanted tangible contact.
These insights shaped our guiding principle: connection should feel natural and not forced.
Designing for Two Worlds
The Overwhelmed Daughter
Amy, 35
A busy professional who wants low pressure ways to connect.
The Digital Newcomer
Agnes, 78
A tech cautious parent who misses her daughter but hesitates to reach out.
Our Design Goals Became Clear
Fit into adults’ daily routines without extra burden.
Accommodate parents with low tech confidence.
Support asynchronous and low effort interactions.
Feel tactile, genuine, and emotionally warm.
We Tested 3 Concept Explorations
🎥 Warm Watchparty
A remote for reacting to TV together (e.g. sending confetti effects). It's fun and personalized, but it wasn't low effort or genuine.
🍽️ Feeling Plate
A smart surface converting daily actions (e.g. placing keys) into automatic messages. While effortless, it lacked personalization and authenticity.
✏️ Pocket Pad
Pocket-sized device for handwritten notes to loved ones. This met our goals of being effortless, personalized, and genuine.
Pocket Pad was selected because it met the needs of both generations.
Iterating the Experience
We ran 5 moderated usability sessions with adults and parents to refine the flow and emotional tone.
Insight 1: Adults didn’t want to use a second device.
Before
Adults liked the emotional idea but said using a separate device to talk with a parent didn’t fit their daily habits. It felt like an extra chore rather than a quick gesture.
After
An iOS home screen widget was introduced that let adults send notes or photos directly from their phones. This made participation effortless and increased usage intent in follow up tests.
Insight 2: Message flow felt confusing
Before
The “Send to” step appeared after writing a note, which broke the expected order and left users uncertain about where their message was going.
After
The flow was redesigned so users select the recipient first and added clear visual cues at the start. The new sequence matched familiar messaging patterns and reduced task hesitation.
Insight 3: Prompt cards lacked clarity
Before
Parents struggled to understand the purpose of prompt cards; weak hierarchy and low contrast made them easy to skip.
After
The prompts were redesigned as horizontal card decks that users could easily swipe through. Combined with higher contrast and concise onboarding hints, this change made prompts feel more interactive and approachable, improving engagement during first use.
Insight 4: Custom emoji reactions were unfamiliar
Before
Switching between screens to draw emojis caused confusion and interrupted the flow. The custom emoji feature felt high effort and delivered low satisfaction, which users didn’t connect with it as intended.
After
The custom emoji tool was removed and replaced it with native iOS emojis. Users could now select familiar emojis and place them as stickers on images, creating a faster and more enjoyable way to react without leaving the main screen.
Final Design Highlights
Accessible Design
Restructuring the recipient flow with large text, clear iconography, and minimal navigation for parents reduced confusion.
Handwritten Notes
Parents could send tactile and authentic notes with minimal learning curve.
Prompt Cards
Reduced emotional friction by suggesting simple and thoughtful gestures without overthinking.
IOS Widget for Adults
A single tap that allows you to sent a photo or note without managing another app or device.
Hardware Explorations
The 3 prototypes of pen, case, and device validated the ergonomics and notification cues.
Phone Case
The phone case design integrates a secure pen holder, preventing loss while maintaining a slim, seamless profile.
Pocket Pad
The Pocket Pad combines Kindle and iPhone design elements with durable materials. Its sticky note dimensions and steel hinge allow portability while supporting core features.
Pocket Pen
The pen features a specialized crevice fitting the Pocket Pad and a circular tip for easy removal. When messages arrive, the tip glows as a notification.
Shared Design System
We also contributed to the shared design system, building components (like prompts, widget tiles, and buttons) to maintain consistency across both devices. This made the experience feel unified across platforms.
Reflection
Designing for cross-generational connection proved that “effortless” means different things to different people. Adults valued speed and parents valued tangibility. Balancing those needs transformed tech into something that felt human.
If more time allowed, I would expand prompt variety, test long-term use, and explore haptic cues that reinforce physical and digital empathy. Pocket Pad reminded me that emotional authenticity is a usability metric too.