Overview
Overview
Ramya is a service design project redefining old age home experiences.
In India, old age homes are commonly seen as abandonment, leaving families uninformed and caregivers overwhelmed. Existing systems lack transparency, failing to bridge this gap.
Ramya enhances transparency, improves communication, and keeps families connected with their loved ones in old age homes.
Testing showed most families felt more connected through better communication, engagement, and trust. Users valued convenience and accessibility, shaping future refinements.
Duration
4 months
My Role
Researcher - Onsite User Research at Pune, Project Defining, Ideation, Service Blueprint Design, Design System, Branding, User Interface Design and Prototyping for Mobile & Website, Usability Testing, Redesign
My Team
5 Interaction Designers
Duration
16 weeks
My Role
User Research, Project Defining, Ideation, Service Blueprint Design, Design System, Branding, User Interface Design and Prototyping for Mobile & Website, Usability Testing
My Team
5 Interaction Designers
Problem Space
Breaking the Stigma!
Breaking the Stigma!
In India, old age homes are stigmatized as abandonment, leading to a lack of transparency and connection, leaving families uninformed and caregivers overwhelmed.
In India, old age homes are stigmatized as abandonment, leading to a lack of transparency and connection, leaving families uninformed and caregivers overwhelmed.
As designers, we explored this topic to identify the root causes of this perception and bridge the gaps contributing to the disconnect.
As designers, we explored this topic to identify the root causes of this perception and bridge the gaps contributing to the disconnect.
Primary Research
Uncovering the Gaps
Uncovering the Gaps
How It all started:
“It isn’t just the distance, we have stopped hearing his stories and how he is.”
“I wish we could do something, just to feel closer, even when we couldn’t be there.”
– Son of a resident
– Son of a resident
That stuck with me, because feeling connected shouldn’t depend on proximity.
I spent four hours observing interactions at Pune's old age homes, studying residents, families, and caregivers while engaging with staff to identify challenges and opportunities. To broaden our perspective, we consulted five families and key stakeholders from old age homes in Ahmedabad, Pune, and Satara.
That stuck with me—because feeling connected shouldn’t depend on proximity.
I spent four hours observing daily interactions at Pune's old age homes, engaging with residents, families, and caregivers to identify challenges and opportunities.
To expand our perspective, we consulted five families and key stakeholders from old age homes in Ahmedabad, Pune, and Satara.
Here's what some of them said:
Here's what some of them said:
The Real Problem
How are Families and Old Age Homes communicating right now?
How are Families and Old Age Homes communicating right now?
Asking Caretaker how mom is doing
Asking Caretaker for doctor appointment details
Secondary Research
Understanding the Ecosystem of Elderly Care in India
We conducted an in-depth analysis of India’s aging population, caregiving trends, and elder care practices, uncovering decision-making roles and stakeholders involved in elder care to ensure our design aligns with real user needs.
Understanding the Current Caregiving Trends
Rise of hybrid eldercare (tech + human support) in India
Increasing use of emergency response & health monitoring apps
Growing use of emotional wellness and companionship services
While our research revealed patterns and progress, the emotional disconnect persisted, prompting us to ask-
Converging
What Gaps Are We Really Solving?
Emotional Disconnect
Families feel distant and uninformed about their loved ones’ daily lives, leading to guilt and mistrust.
Operational Burden
Caregivers struggle with manual updates, leaving little time for genuine connection.
Resident Loneliness
Residents feel emotionally isolated, especially during idle hours.
Stakeholders
And Who Are We Solving Them For?
We prioritized families and caregivers as key stakeholders since they drive decision-making, manage communication, and directly impact residents' care and well-being. These evolving needs became the foundation for our design objective leading us to create a Customer Gap Model to pinpoint gaps in customer satisfaction and knowledge about the resident.
Objective
How Might We?
Bridge the
communication gap
Bridge the communication gap
between families, caregivers, and residents to build trust and transparency?
Support caregivers
& managers
with efficient tools that simplify management and reduce information overload?
Support caregivers
& managers
with efficient tools that simplify management and reduce information overload?
Help families feel
more involved
Help families feel more involved
in their loved one’s care and stay updated without overwhelming the system or staff?
We prioritized families and caregivers as key stakeholders since they drive decision-making, manage communication, and directly impact residents' care and well-being. These evolving needs became the foundation for our design objective leading us to create a Customer Gap Model to pinpoint gaps in customer satisfaction and knowledge about the resident.
Objective
How Might We?
Secondary Research
Understanding the Ecosystem of Elderly Care in India
We conducted an in-depth analysis of India’s aging population, caregiving trends, and elder care practices, uncovering decision-making roles and stakeholders involved in elder care to ensure our design aligns with real user needs.
Understanding the Current Caregiving Trends
Rise of hybrid eldercare (tech + human support) in India
Increasing use of emergency response & health monitoring apps
Growing use of emotional wellness and companionship services
While our research revealed patterns and progress, the emotional disconnect persisted, prompting us to ask-
Converging
What Gaps Are We Really Solving?
Emotional Disconnect
Families feel distant and uninformed about their loved ones’ daily lives, leading to guilt and mistrust.
Operational Burden
Caregivers struggle with manual updates, leaving little time for genuine connection.
Resident Loneliness
Residents feel emotionally isolated, especially during idle hours.
Stakeholders
And Who Are We Solving Them For?
We prioritized families and caregivers as key stakeholders since they drive decision-making, manage communication, and directly impact residents' care and well-being. These evolving needs became the foundation for our design objective leading us to create a Customer Gap Model to pinpoint gaps in customer satisfaction and knowledge about the resident.
Objective
How Might We?
Bridge the communication gap
between families, caregivers, and residents to build trust and transparency?
Support caregivers and managers
with efficient tools that simplify management and reduce information overload?
Help families feel more involved
in their loved one’s care and stay updated without overwhelming the system or staff?
Ideation
Generated ideas focused on enhancing communication, transparency, and emotional connection, aligning with our users' needs.
We decided to incorporate key aspects in our service for two major user groups—family members and the manager.
From ideation, we shortlisted key ideas, expanded on them with detailed concepts, and then
Conducted Buy-a-Feature testing method with our users to identify the most valued features for our application.
Ideation
Converting Thought to Possibility
Generated ideas focusing on enhancing communication, transparency, and emotional connection, aligning with our users' needs.
We decided to incorporate key aspects in our service for two major user groups, family members and the manager.
From ideation, we shortlisted key ideas, expanded on them with detailed concepts, and then
Conducted Buy-a-Feature testing method with our users to identify the most valued features for our application.
Ideation
Converting Thought to Possibility
Service Touchpoints
Introducing Ramya
Introducing Ramya
A digital solution for real-time updates and smart care, because love shouldn’t have a distance limit.
A digital solution for real-time updates and smart care, because love shouldn’t have a distance limit.
Design Iterations
Visioning our User Group's Wants
Understanding the Users' Motivations through Card Sorting to structure the Information Architecture
I defined user flows and created low-fidelity wireframes for tasks like real-time updates, medical records, upcoming events, and memory access.
Design Iterations
Visioning our User Group's Wants
Understanding the Users' Motivations through Card Sorting to structure the Information Architecture
I defined user flows and created low-fidelity wireframes for tasks like real-time updates, medical records, upcoming events, and memory access.
Blueprint and Touchpoint Design
Laying out Ramya as a Service
Laying out Ramya as a Service
This service blueprint outlines the journey of family members and elderly residents in an old age home, detailing their actions, goals, and interactions with staff and technology across different phases. It highlights front-stage and back-stage processes, supporting systems, and key touchpoints to enhance communication, care, and emergency response.
Branding
Bringing Ramya to Life
Bringing Ramya to Life
Concept behind the Logo
I created the design system to ensure a cohesive visual identity throughout Ramya's products and services.
I created the design system to ensure a cohesive visual identity throughout Ramya's products and services.
Design System
Usability Testing: Version 1
Refining through Real Feedback
Refining through Real Feedback
Finally, the Solution (Phew!)
Putting it all together
Putting it all together
Introducing the Ramya App
For family members to stay connected with the old age home.
Stay to stay Connected!
Instantly alert the manager if updates about your loved one are missing and receive photos to view or save in your memory box, ensuring quick resolution, seamless communication, and cherished moments preserved.
Mood Tracker Feature
Track the daily moods of residents to ensure their emotional well-being. This feature provides valuable feedback to improve care quality and helps families stay connected to their loved one’s happiness.
Daily Vital, Meds, Appointments, All in One Place!
Track daily vitals, medications, and appointments seamlessly in one place!
View Iterations
View Iterations
Photo Gallery and Highlights
View a curated gallery and event highlights to stay connected with your loved one’s memorable moments.
Request for Caretaker for a Family Event
Easily request a dedicated caretaker to accompany your loved one to family events, ensuring their comfort and care.
We tested our final prototype with our users:
40% FASTER
Task Completion for
basic comunication
40% FASTER
Task Completion for
basic comunication
The Manager's Dashboard
Managing all the data in one place; the dashboard provides a quick overview of all the necessary tasks and things.
It helps managers track responsibilities like staff scheduling, resident activities, residents health metrics even the daily tasks and events.
Pal: A Memory Box
Pal preserves cherished moments by allowing families to share photos, notes, and keepsakes with their loved ones in old age homes, provided at the end of the stay or on demand during the service to foster lasting emotional connections.
Introducing the Ramya App
For family members to stay connected with the old age home.
Stay to stay Connected!
Instantly alert the manager if updates about your loved one are missing and receive photos to view or save in your memory box, ensuring quick resolution, seamless communication, and cherished moments preserved.
Mood Tracker Feature
Track the daily moods of residents to ensure their emotional well-being. This feature provides valuable feedback to improve care quality and helps families stay connected to their loved one’s happiness.
Daily Vital, Meds, Appointments, All in One Place!
Track daily vitals, medications, and appointments seamlessly in one place!
View Iterations
View Iterations
Photo Gallery and Highlights
View a curated gallery and event highlights to stay connected with your loved one’s memorable moments.
Request for Caretaker for a Family Event
Easily request a dedicated caretaker to accompany your loved one to family events, ensuring their comfort and care.
We tested our final prototype with our users:
40% FASTER
Task Completion for
basic comunication
40% FASTER
Task Completion for
basic comunication
The Manager's Dashboard
Managing all the data in one place; the dashboard provides a quick overview of all the necessary tasks and things.
It helps managers track responsibilities like staff scheduling, resident activities, residents health metrics even the daily tasks and events.
Pal: A Memory Box
Pal preserves cherished moments by allowing families to share photos, notes, and keepsakes with their loved ones in old age homes, provided at the end of the stay or on demand during the service to foster lasting emotional connections.
Impact & Future Scope
Refining through Real Feedback
Refining through Real Feedback
India’s elder-care ecosystem, with 150 million seniors, faces a huge gap. Only 22,000 organised units vs. 1.7 million+ needed.
Ramya showed me how a simple, thoughtful system can bring families closer, support caregivers, and restore dignity, making the experience deeply personal and rewarding. Looking ahead, Ramya has the potential to scale across cities, integrate assistive technologies and AI-driven insights, and create emotionally engaging elder-care solutions, setting new standards for connection and wellbeing in India.
Apno Se Jude,
Befikar Rahe.
Solution
Introducing Ramya
A digital solution for real-time updates and smart care, because love shouldn’t have a distance limit.
Impact & Future Scope
Refining through Real Feedback
India’s elder-care ecosystem, with 150 million seniors, faces a huge gap. Only 22,000 organised units vs. 1.7 million+ needed.
Ramya showed me how a simple, thoughtful system can bring families closer, support caregivers, and restore dignity, making the experience deeply personal and rewarding. Looking ahead, Ramya has the potential to scale across cities, integrate assistive technologies and AI-driven insights, and create emotionally engaging elder-care solutions, setting new standards for connection and wellbeing in India.
Apno Se Jude,
Befikar Rahe.
Impact & Future Scope
Refining through Real Feedback
India’s elder-care ecosystem, with 150 million seniors, faces a huge gap. Only 22,000 organised units vs. 1.7 million+ needed.
Ramya showed me how a simple, thoughtful system can bring families closer, support caregivers, and restore dignity, making the experience deeply personal and rewarding. Looking ahead, Ramya has the potential to scale across cities, integrate assistive technologies and AI-driven insights, and create emotionally engaging elder-care solutions, setting new standards for connection and wellbeing in India.
Apno Se Jude,
Befikar Rahe.
