安 Pulse

Our first prototype focused on two core MVP functions:

1. Health tracking

2. Community discovery

With this prototype, we aimed to test our observation that older adults relieve stress through physical exercise and social connection.

Our hypothesis of first testing.

When older adults can easily discover nearby exercise groups, more than 80% will feel less isolated and more “part of something.”

Our Hypothesis was supported by our findings.

In the interviews, all eight participants reported engaging in light exercises to relieve stress. Six out of eight expressed a willingness to use an app to join group activities and combat loneliness. They also identified several barriers to staying active, including health conditions, lack of motivation, time constraints, and insufficient information about available activities.

We asked participants to provide feedback on the prototype, particularly regarding its usability for finding communities and tracking health. Several improvements were suggested, including the addition of calendar features for scheduling activities, motivation badges or rewards, filtering options for community searches, and direct communication methods with community hosts. Many participants also expressed a preference for a web version of the service, as some felt more comfortable using a larger screen.

Based on the feedback of our first prototype, we developed a second prototype that incorporated more interactive features and additional functions requested by users. Importantly, this version included both mobile and web-convertible screens so that users could test the interface in their preferred environment, addressing the earlier concern that many elderly users rely on larger screens.

A consistent theme emerged from reviewers: our app focused too heavily on health tracking, resembling typical fitness apps for younger users, while the core value of “community connection” was unclear. Concerns were raised about whether seniors aged 60–74 could effectively use fitness devices. In interviews, participants found Prototype 2 clearer and more intuitive but suggested improvements like larger text and clearer icons. They emphasized the need for manual input or phone-based tracking for those without wearables. Findings showed high wearable adoption among active seniors and significant interest among those looking to start exercising, leading us to maintain health-tracking features while accommodating non-wearable users.

For our final prototype, we integrated the key insights gathered from our suers, professor and mentors. We made our final prototype the most elderly friendly iteration we have yet! Beyond refining usability and features, we also started shaping a sustainable business model around the service.

Through this final prototype, we moved from a purely functional solution to a more holistic ecosystem model that connects elderly users, communities, and health-tech partners on one platform.

We initially pursued partnerships with NGOs and community organizations to host exclusive exercise events through our platform. This approach not only reduces isolation among the elderly but also helps NGOs efficiently engage the younger elderly demographic.

Next, we explored collaborations with wearable brands like Whoop. Given the strong interest in wearables among exercise-motivated seniors, our app can provide a platform for these brands to promote their products, offering users discounts, trials, or co-branded health challenges in return.