A mobile companion that brings generative AI to senior users through a calm, conversational journey — so the technology serves the memory, not the other way around.
Bring a treasured photo back to life — gently, and with care for the moment it holds.
Dense panels, small tap targets, technical jargon, and clinical tone make today's generative AI tools quietly inaccessible to older adults — the very people who hold the most precious photos. Mend is designed to be accessible to everyone, with seniors at the center.
Sliders, model pickers, and engineer-speak crowd the screen before the first action.
"Processing batch…" treats a memory like a file. The emotional weight disappears.
Small tap targets, low-contrast text, and dense forms exclude the people who care most about old photos.
If we replace controls with conversation, replace progress bars with reassurance, and use affectionate language instead of technical names — then AI becomes a quiet companion to memory, not a tool. An app inclusive for seniors is an app that's better for everyone.
Synthesized from interviews and observation. Elaine grounds every product decision — and the choices that work for her tend to work for everyone.
"I have a box of my mother's photos. I want my grandchildren to see her face the way I remember it — not faded, not torn."
One choice per screen. Always reversible. Reassurance instead of percentages.
The constraints I kept written above the canvas.
Ask, don't configure. "Where is your photo?" beats a source dropdown every time.
Cognitive load is the enemy. Never two unrelated choices on the same surface.
"Restoring contrast" reads better than "62%". Progress should communicate care.
"Memory", "heritage", "gently". The vocabulary of family — not of software.
19–22px body. 64px tap targets. AAA contrast on every primary action.
Back is one tap. The original is preserved. Nothing is final.
Layout, hierarchy, and one-decision-per-screen — locked before any color or type.
Six screens that take a faded photograph all the way to a saved heirloom.
Bring a treasured photo back to life — gently, and with care for the moment it holds.
Choose the way that feels easiest for you.
Make sure faces are inside the frame.
Taking our time so every detail comes back the way it should.
Color, type, and component primitives — all tuned for warmth and accessibility.
Measurable shifts plus the lessons I'll carry forward.