InterGen

Generational Q&A APP

Overview

InterGen is a communication and support app designed for older adults. It enables them to ask questions and seek help without feeling they are burdening their children, while maintaining warm and timely connection. Based on research into intergenerational communication needs, the product helps seniors seek assistance independently and confidently.
This research provided user insights and accessibility design recommendations for the Blue Book on Digital Product Accessibility for Older Adults, presented at Alibaba’s U Design Week.

Role

UX Researcher · UI/UX Designer

Project Type

Industry–University Collaboration

Affiliation

Alibaba Design Team × SJTU School of Design

Time

2022.05 - 2022.08

Tools

Figma, FigJam, Online Survey Tool

View Online

InterGen
知闲

A cross-generation support system combining family-based help, step-by-step guidance, and emotional feedback for older adults seeking assistance with confidence.

For Older Adults: Search plugin + mobile app
For Helpers: WeChat Mini Program

process

The design process followed the Design Thinking framework, moving through five key phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

empathize

Context

Social

China’s aging population is expanding rapidly 🌏, with more active and educated older adults 👵👴 emerging as independent digital participants 📱.

Cultural

Generational differences in language and media habits create digital gaps 🧩, yet the growing presence of senior internet users is gradually reshaping cultural identity and participation 🌱.

User

Older adults adopt new technologies to stay connected with family ❤️—supporting digital use means reducing age bias, recognizing seniors’ agency 👵👴, and encouraging gentle intergenerational guidance 🤝.

Competitive Analysis

Competitive analysis of two senior-focused communication products helped us identify common design patterns, gaps, and opportunities for improving digital support for older adults.

📈 Trend

More older adults are going online via smartphones, forming new digital habits alongside traditional cultural influences.

📌 Pain Point

Current solutions solve tasks or emotions—not both—leaving seniors unsure and lacking confidence when using digital tools.

💡 Opportunity

Support communication, simplify interaction, and offer gentle emotional encouragement to help seniors participate independently.

Qualitative Research - Interview

Study on internet communication barriers among older adults.

Interview Objective /

To understand both older adults and family helpers, identify shared and differing behaviors, and segment users based on goals, behaviors, and attitudes. From each segment, we derived representative personas to uncover motivations, unmet needs, and pain points—informing product opportunities.

Participants /

Older Adults: Use smartphones; experience communication or operational challenges; use messaging apps frequently or occasionally.
Family Helpers: Live with or support older relatives; frequently assist with digital communication.

Interview Focus /

Older adults’ demographics (age, living situation, etc.)
Their communication habits: frequency, methods, and emotional context with family members.

Scenario (Digital Familiarity Levels) /

1. Basic Use: Calls, SMS
2. Everyday Digital Use: Video calls, voice messages, chat apps, short video browsing
3. Advanced Tasks: Posting content, online shopping
4. Creative / Pro User: Using smartphones for content creation and publishing

6 older adults

Ages 50–60: 3 (1 male, 2 female)
Ages 61–70: 1 (1 male)
Ages 71–80: 2 (1 male, 1 female)

3 helpers

2 female, 1 male

Define

User Personas

Using the Censydiam model, users were segmented into groups, leading to the creation of distinct personas for both older adults (5 types) and helpers (4 types).

Quantitative Research - Survey

Is the user segmentation and personas accurate?

Older Adults /

Sample Size — 202 responses collected, 174 valid samples.
Reliability — Excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.86).
ValidityAcceptable construct validity (KMO & Bartlett’s Test = 0.66).

Helpers /

Sample Size — 135 responses collected, 119 valid samples.
Reliability — Excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.80).
Validity — Acceptable construct validity (KMO & Bartlett’s Test = 0.60).

Older Adults /

Segmentation Validation: Strong correlation between initial and clustered groups (Spearman’s ρ, p < 0.001).

Helpers /

Segmentation Validation: Strong correlation between initial and clustered groups (Spearman’s ρ, p < 0.001).

Older Adults /

Main Issues: unfamiliar internet slang & basic smartphone use.
Common Solutions: self-searching or asking younger family members.
Main Concern: worrying about disturbing their children.

Helpers /

Main Alignment: helpers’ understanding matches older adults’ needs — internet slang & basic smartphone use.
Support Approach: cultural issues are explained directly, while basic operations are taught step-by-step.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

Older adult – Qual & Quant Validation

Cautious communicators and cursory problem solvers are core segments.
They tend to ask younger family members for help but often worry about disturbing them.

Helper – Qual & Quant Validation

Quiet supporters and warm-hearted helpers are core segments.
They prefer avoiding complexity and often choose direct, hands-on assistance.

Older adult – Qual & Quant Gap

Qualitative: cultural gap caused by rapid internet development is a key challenge.
‍Quantitative: limited understanding of online services is also a major issue.

Helper – Qual & Quant Gap

Qualitative: tend not to explain the underlying principles when helping.‍
Quantitative: use multiple assistance methods, with quiet supporters showing the highest proportion.

Journey Maps

Ideate

Core User Flow Requirements

Built around users’ natural process — Encounter → Seek help → Solve → Reflect — the core user flow was defined to guide the design.

The product should provide a simple, accessible search feature within a familiar interface, and support clear, efficient communication between seniors and younger family members.

Musts

Wants

Exciters

Feature Framework

Primary Function

Secondary Function

Tertiary Function

Prototype

Lo-Fi Sketches

Design Principle

Usability

Trust

Human-centered

Hi-Fi Prototypes

Search Plugin

Older Adults

APP / Home

Older Adults

APP / Quick Help

Older Adults

APP / Record & Profile

Older Adults

Mini Program / Home

Helper

Mini Program / Records & Profile

Helper

Test

Usability Testing

Tasks

Plugin / Older adults side: Search “How to change bank card password?” and follow guided steps.

App / Older adults side: Search and ask “How to return an item on Taobao?”

‍Mini Program / Helpers side: Answer the older adult’s question about returning an item.

Participants

3 older adults (frequent smartphone users)
3 younger helpers (tech-savvy)

Completion Rate:
‍✅ 3/3 older adults ✅ 3/3 helpers

Iterations

● Added click prompts for better guidance.
● Enlarged button size for accessibility.
● Adjusted “View” button placement for better visibility.
● Added “?” at the end of questions to improve comprehension.

A/B Testing

Goal

Compare button styles to see which better supports older adult users.

Variable

Outlined buttons vs. Filled buttons

Result

2 preferred filled buttons (more visible)
1 saw no major difference

Iterations

Final design uses filled buttons for key actions.

Real‑World Impact

📘 Part of our research was published in the Blue Book on Digital Product Accessibility for the Elderly, released at Alibaba U Design Week.

✍️ I co-authored Chapter 3: User Needs and Pain Points, contributing accessibility design insights for older adults.