Poppy — Empowering Seniors Through Human-Centered AI

Intelligent Aging

AI’s Role in Supporting NYC’s Seniors

Team Ubuntu: Ritu Pant, Joannah Varghese, Silvia Castro

TEAM UBUNTU

2025

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT STUDIO

How might we increase digital confidence among seniors by empowering them through accessible and meaningful use of AI?

Around 66% of older adult above 65 years do not know much or don't know anything about AI.

In the US, only 16% of those 65 or over will try out new technology, compared to 40% of those under that age.

TEAM UBUNTU

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT STUDIO

2025

Our Process

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Opportunity Framing

Concept Definition

Solution Refinement

Through interviews, fly-onthe-wall observations, and workshops, we identified our opportunity.

With the collaboration of 10 seniors, we co-developed an initial concept that responded directly to their needs.

Based on feedback from seniors in New York City, we made several iterations to refine and improve the concept.

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TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 1

AI FOR SENIORS:

A Look at Today’s AI Tools for Older Adults

Remote monitoring technology

AI-integrated wearable vests and undergarments

Chatbots and Caregivers Apps

Smart Home detection Devices

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 1

CONNECTING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS

SENIOR CENTERS

CAREGIVERS

CASE WORKERS

We reached out to 17 different senior centers to request space for observing and engaging with older adults.

We interviewed five caregivers, including both local and longdistance caregivers

We interviewed two case workers who work at senior centers.

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 1

FIRST DISCOVERY

DISCOVERY WORKSHOP

We worked with 10 seniors to understand their daily challenges

OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

“I commute over 1.5hrs once a week to be a part of this community center” ~Ritchie

INITIAL INTERVIEWS

Seniors usually ask for external help to understand tech

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PHASE 1

“I wanna know more about AI, how do I download it?” ~Joyce

Key Insights:

Seniors hesitate to troubleshoot tech issues independently, preferring external help.

Superficial understanding of AI lead many to confuse AI with apps

Seniors shown overall curiosity to learn more about AI

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 2

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

TRUST

EASY TO USE

BRINGS JOY

Build experiences that foster reliability, security, and confidence in every interaction.

Design that focuses on simplicity, ensuring seamless and intuitive user experiences.

Curate to bring positive “moments” that evokes joy during the experience.

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PHASE 2

IDEATION PROCESS

Phase 1:

Internal concept exploration

We used a drawing board and visual facilitation tools to guide the ideation

As a team with diverse backgrounds, we were able to ensure a wide range of perspectives

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 2

IDEATION PROCESS

Phase 2:

Co-designing with 10 seniors

We developed a plan to determine the number of workshops needed to co-design with seniors

We designed four workshops: the first focused on understanding their daily challenges, the next two on ideation, and the final one on testing.

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 2

Workshop #2

DISSECTING THE PERSONALITY

Building your own assistant

“My assistant is Blackie, my dog” ~Christina

Trust is build when the assistant feels personal, relatable and emotionally safe

Help them with daily tasks, such as identifying what’s wrong with a plant.

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 2

Workshop #3

FIRST AI INTERACTION

Identifying use cases and boundaries

Visual aids accompanying explanations helps them

better understand and visualize information.

Looking in AI an assistant that feels like a member of the family and helps them be engage

Step-by-step instructions without skipping basics.

TEAM UBUNTU

PHASE 2

Workshop #3

KEY USE CASES Discover new ways to deepen their hobbies: Learning how to document a garden through photos.

Transcript,Transcribe,Translate: Features that can capture conversations, or summarize information.

Issues related to phone,technology: Step-by-step guidance to help them understand any tech issues.

Medical and Legal help but with constraints: Basic support with health and legal queries, but always follow up by redirecting them to a qualified professionals.

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PHASE 3

Workshop #4

EXPLORING FAMILIAR INTERFACES

The interfaces they are most familiar with are YouTube and WhatsApp Is key to balance accessibility with trust

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PHASE 3

Workshop #4

GETTING TO KNOW BUDDY

A custom GPT

Learnings from our final prototype:

A clear need for visual support supported by both voice and text integration An unpredictable response style Navigating phone-related tasks are still not accurate

Today’s seniors are curious, capable, and active — but the way information is accessed and learned has changed dramatically.

The traditional "how-to" — paper manuals, in-person demonstrations — no longer fits the reality of a digital-first world.

TEAM UBUNTU

FINAL CONCEPT

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An AI task oriented multimodal conversational assistant co-designed with seniors

Keeping them active & engage

Helps them with daily tasks

Gives digital confidence

P PPY

An AI task oriented multimodal conversational assistant co-designed with seniors

Helps them stay them

active & engaged

Assists daily tasks & reminders

Builds digital confidence

TEAM UBUNTU

FINAL CONCEPT

Onboarding

Personal Touch from the Start: Users begin by naming their assistant and selecting a voice and image, making the experience feel warm and familiar.

Step-by-Step Guidance: The onboarding flows in small, manageable steps — no long forms or tech jargon, just one simple choice at a time.

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FINAL CONCEPT

Use Case: Poppy as an Assistant for a hobby Simple, Visual Interface: Designed to look and feel familiar, with large buttons, clear prompts, and minimal clutter — so users can focus on their hobby, not the tech.

Context-Aware Support: Poppy listens and learns — offering guidance based on the user’s past questions and progress

Beyond Words: Suggestions are paired with helpful visuals — like photos, diagrams, or short videos — making it easier to understand and act with confidence.

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FINAL CONCEPT

Future Use Case: Healthcare queries Reassurance Over Alarm: Poppy offers calm, non-urgent language when responding to health concerns, designed to reduce panic, especially in moments of uncertainty.

Guidance, Not Diagnosis: Instead of pretending to have all the answers, Poppy gently redirects users to medical professionals when appropriate, reinforcing trust and responsibility.

Curated, Next-Step Actions: Users are given 2–3 easy-to-understand options (like watching a video or logging data), keeping choices clear and doable Continuity Through History: A categorized history of questions creates a record users can refer back to or share with caregivers, making it easier to track patterns over time.

TEAM UBUNTU

Thank you!