O! Locals

Ideation

Idea: A hobby-based social platform for the local retired population.
We decided to make an APP that serves the retired aging population, providing them with an online social platform for making friends through learning new hobbies or participating in local events, with customizable usability.
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Features:‍

Participation: Diverse classes and activities with low costs.
Empowerment: Users can teach their own classes and share skills through the platform.
Personalization: Recommendation based on location and hobbies.
Sustainability: Sponsorship business model for free trial courses.
Inspiring Visuals: Branding should feel warm and energizing, transferring an active, encouraging, and proactive feeling.

Issue: Retired groups had an exceed amount of free time. And they are willing to explore. But their physical disabilities hinder them from doing that.

Solution 1: Activities recommendation based on algorithm.Based on users' interests, the classes they have attended in the past, and the ongoing cultural festivals, The activities will be recommended on the homepage.

Solution 2: Recommend activities in users' local communities.Aging users don't need to travel far for social activities. This provides those who lack good mobility more opportunities to connect with others.

Issue: Elderly Feel Lonely When Their Only Child Was Away From Them.

Solution 3: Share activities with other friends and have more connections.The platform encourages those who first met each other to have reconnection. So, we have a space that allows users to share the activities they’ve joined or are going to join, which gives them more opportunities to keep in touch and do activities together if they wish.

Issue: Because of losing social function, part of the retired group feels they have lost their value.

Solution 4: Allow users to share and teach others on the platform after professional verification.Besides, the platform has a function that allows users to do their own activities after verification. By sharing their skills, thoughts, and happiness. Users can find more new friends and achieve personal values, which used to obtain during their work and family activities with their kids.

Issue: Because of losing social function, part of the retired group feels they have lost their value.

Solution 5: Accessibility adjustment options.1. Text resizing
2. Spacing adjustment
3. Color mode
4. Screen reading
5. Screen Magnifier
6. Class start reminder
7. Event calendar with notes.‍
Users can change the text sizes and spacings and turn on the night and light model. For the users who cannot read well, there is a function that allows the app to read the text where they are pointing; the magnifier tool can enlarge any places users are pointing at, which can also help them read easily.

Business Model

To satisfy users' preference of great deals, we set up a non-profit organization model that provides retired groups with free or low-cost classes.
Though upcoming retired groups are willing to spend money on themselves, they will still evaluate prices carefully. By introducing the large firms and charity groups, free/low-cost classes will be available. All classes provide one free trial that allows users to confirm their expectations before they decide to buy.