THRIVE
Empowering families - Reimagining aging in place
DESIGNING SOLUTIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND CONNECTION
Aging isn’t just about growing older, it’s about thriving in the spaces that feel like home. When Xfinity introduced us to Project Thrive, we saw an opportunity to redefine how technology supports older adults and their families. Working across continents, we embraced the challenge to design experiences that empower independence, strengthen connections, and bring peace of mind.
My role: Design, Research, Stakeholder management
Extent of project: April 2024 - ongoing
Deliverables: TV destination platform, mobile web, mobile app
For confidentiality reasons, some details have been omitted. The views expressed are my own and do not represent Sky Global Design or Xfinity. This case study reflects my contributions during my time on the project.
THE CHALLENGE
BALANCING INDEPENDENCE AND CARE
Imagine being 75 years old, living in a home filled with memories, but struggling to stay connected and independent. Meanwhile, your daughter, juggling her career and family, worries constantly about your safety.
This is the reality for millions of families today. Older adults want to age in place, but they need accessible solutions to do so. Caregivers want peace of mind, but they face challenges balancing support with their own lives.
What We Asked Ourselves:
How might we help older adults feel confident, connected, and safe in their familiar surroundings?
How might we give caregivers tools to support their loved ones without sacrificing their own well-being?
Aging Population: By 2030, the U.S. population aged 65+ is projected to grow from 55M to 73M, with many requiring care due to age-related factors.
Caregiving Burden: 1 in 5 Americans care for older adults, spending about 24 hours a week balancing caregiving and personal life.
Desire for Independence: Older adults want to stay in their homes and communities as long as they can, but they need extra help to achieve this.
THE COLLABORATION AND PROCESS
SKY AND XFINITY
Sky and Xfinity’s collaboration on Project Thrive brought together expertise from two continents, uniting teams in America and England to address the challenges of aging in place. Our aim is to keep an increasingly alienated audience as loyal Comcast customers and raise their satisfaction and confidence in their day-to-day lives. The project unfolded in two key phases:
Phase 1: Xfinity’s initial trial tested features like a tailored X1 TV destination, easily restored TV preferences, and strongest security settings recommendations. This phase provided valuable insights into user needs and set the foundation for further exploration.
Phase 2: Building on the learnings from Phase 1, the design team at Sky focused on conceptualizing and testing new features, including Delegated Access, Daily Living Insights, and Social Connections. By leveraging Xfinity’s existing tech ecosystem and design systems, the team rapidly iterated on solutions to meet user needs.
We aimed to keep an increasingly alienated audience as loyal Comcast customers and raise their satisfaction and confidence in their day-to-day lives
This cross-border effort required constant collaboration, balancing time zones, and blending different design perspectives to deliver a unified, user-centered solution.
THE APPROACH
DESIGNING WITH EMPATHY
To frame the process, we began with a simple but powerful principle: Design with empathy, not assumptions.
Key Actions:
Listening: We spoke to older adults and their caregivers to uncover their frustrations, fears, and desires surrounding technology.
Learning: We explored the $151B Age-Tech industry to identify opportunities for innovation.
Mapping: We charted out user journeys to visualize the touchpoints where we could make the most impact.
Key Insights:
Older adults value simplicity and familiarity in technology.
Caregivers need tools that fit seamlessly into their lives.
Connection and safety are at the heart of aging in place.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
CAREGIVING SHOULDN’T BE COMPLICATED
Phase 1 of Project Thrive revealed a universal truth: Aging in place isn’t just a desire, it’s a need. Older adults want to maintain their independence, while their caregivers need tools to balance support with their own lives.
Key Findings from Phase 1:
Tailored TV experiences helped older adults navigate technology with ease.
Saved TV preferences restored familiarity.
Stronger security settings provided peace of mind but left room for improvement.
The Questions for Phase 2:
How can we use feedback from our users to build on these foundations, create deeper connections, and make caregiving a collaborative, seamless experience?
How can we use these findings to expand on various accessibility applications in the future?
…the team recognized the potential to implement adaptive UX technology that could serve individuals with a range of accessibility needs.
While older adults were the primary audience for Project Thrive, the team recognized the potential to implement adaptive UX technology that could serve individuals with a range of accessibility needs. Personas representing people with hearing difficulties, autism, and limited mobility were developed to explore broader applications and inspire future explorations.
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
DEVELOPING THE FRAMEWORK
Before diving into detailed design solutions, we mapped out an early framework to visualize the user's journey across both web and TV. This helped us identify key interaction points, ensure a seamless experience across devices, and align the team on how older adults and their supporters would navigate the system.
User flow and touch points of web and TV experienceINSIGHTS FROM PHASE 1
Before I joined the project, Xfinity completed Phase 1 to explore support for older adults and their families. This phase established design challenges and opportunities for Phase 2.
Key Features Tested:
Tailored X1 TV Destination: Simplified navigation for older adults.
Saved TV Preferences: Easy restoration of user settings.
Strongest Security Settings Recommendations: Enhancements for user and caregiver peace of mind.
Trial Audience:
Xfinity employees and their older family members.
Outcomes from Phase 1:
What Worked: Older adults valued simplicity and personalization; caregivers appreciated security features but wanted more proactive tools.
Areas for Improvement: Security settings lacked clarity and feedback. Opportunities for deeper engagement through shared connections emerged.
Impact on Phase 2:
These findings laid the groundwork for conceptualizing features like Delegated Access, Daily Living Insights, and Social Connections.
Tailored X1 TV Destination
Strongest Security Settings Recommendations
Saved TV PreferencesDESIGNING THE SOLUTION
FROM INSIGHT TO IMPACT
This wasn’t just about creating features, it was about creating freedom. Using insights from Phase 1, we designed tools that empower older adults to live independently and stay connected. By building on Xfinity’s existing technology, we crafted solutions that feel intuitive, supportive, and make life a little easier for everyone
Designs in collaboration with George G, Roz T, Jermaine B, & Ari B
SUPPORTING YOU THROUGH SEAMLESS ACCESS
Caregiving is simple with Delegated Access, allowing trusted family members to help manage accounts and troubleshoot, ensuring peace of mind without sacrificing independence.
INFORMING LOVED ONES WITHOUT BEING INTRUSIVE
Daily Living Insights offer meaningful updates based on usage patterns, keeping supporters informed without disrupting an older adult’s routine.
STRENGTHENING BONDS ACROSS DISTANCES
Aging in place doesn’t mean aging alone. Social Connections help families share messages, reminders, and photos, bringing them closer.
DESIGNING ACROSS BORDERS
A GLOBAL COLLABORATION
With team members in both America and England, collaboration required intention and adaptability. Time zone differences and diverse perspectives shaped our approach, ensuring a richer and more inclusive design process.
What Worked:
Leveraging Xfinity’s existing tech ecosystem to save time and resources.
Stretching the existing design systems to create tailored solutions without reinventing the wheel.
What We Learned:
Regular cross-team syncs could have improved alignment.
Direct developer collaboration would have streamlined feedback loops.
ITERATING AND REFINING
LISTENING TO USERS, EVOLVING THE DESIGN
Design is never one-and-done, especially when building for real people with real needs. After launching Phase 2, user feedback revealed areas for improvement. While the added support and connectivity were well received, features like Strongest Security Settings needed to be clearer and more actionable.
Early sketches of the security settings frameworkI redesigned the security settings flow for both web and mobile, making it easier to understand what was active and what could be improved. Color-coded icons, simplified language, and a guided step-by-step approach helped users feel more in control.
STRONGEST SECURITY SETTINGS
The previous design which was tested with users during the first trial
The current design improvements which reflects user feedback from the trialBRINGING SUPPORTERS ON BOARD, CRAFTING THE RIGHT MESSAGE
One of the biggest hurdles was making sure older adults actually invited their supporters to join their support circle. The feature existed, but adoption relied on reminding and encouraging them to take action. To solve this, I designed the UX copy for a series of emails:
The first email introduced the trial, explaining the process and what to expect. A few days later, a follow-up email gently reminded them to invite a supporter, reinforcing how this could make their daily life easier.
Once an invite was sent, the experience had to be just as seamless for the supporter. Their email wasn’t just an invitation, it was a welcome into a role that mattered. The copy guided them through why they were receiving it, what they needed to do next, and how this would help their loved one. The email also prompted them to download the app, making the process feel effortless rather than a chore.
The emails were iterated to give clarity, consistency and conciseness 
Supporters receive a copy of the invite to their emailTHE INFORMATION HUB, A PLACE FOR CLARITY AND CONFIDENCE
Beyond the emails, we needed a central space where both older adults and their supporters could get the right information at the right time. The information landing page was designed to meet this need by being a clear, approachable guide to the trial.
This page had to do a lot of things at once and as a result went through several wireframing and iterations. It needed to inform without overwhelming, making sure users understood the benefits of the trial, what to expect, and how to get started. The layout was carefully structured to highlight the essentials:
Why this trial exists and how it helps
How to invite a supporter (for older adults)
How to join the support circle (for caregivers)
Where to get help if needed
I refined the messaging to be reassuring and action-driven—guiding users rather than overloading them with instructions. Every link had a purpose, leading users exactly where they needed to go, whether it was sending an invite, downloading the app, or managing their account.
Design of Information page was iterated for clarity and relevanceMAKING INVITATIONS SEAMLESS, DESIGNING FOR SIMPLICITY
With the messaging in place, it was time to ensure the actual invitation process screens were just as intuitive. This was a crucial moment—if an older adult got stuck or confused while inviting a supporter, they might abandon the process entirely.
I worked on refining the flow for sending invitations, making sure every screen had clear instructions and a simple, step-by-step progression. Visual hierarchy played a key role, so the CTA buttons were obvious, the language was actionable but gentle, and reassurance was built in at every step.
For the supporter, the joining experience had to be just as smooth. Once they accepted the invite, they were immediately guided to download the app and get started. There was no guesswork, no extra friction—just a clear, welcoming path into the support system.
Existing BAU flows for inviting and adding managers were leveraged to work with our UX 
Web and mobile web flows were designed to be clear and actionable
Clear instructions for supporter to download the app and start using Thrive serviceTHE OUTCOME
MEASURING SUCCESS
User feedback from the trial revealed that while some participants were already comfortable with technology, others were hesitant at first. Regardless of their familiarity, the improvements we introduced, especially in security settings, sending and receiving invites, and overall usability, helped create a smoother, more intuitive experience for both older adults and their caregivers.
81% OF USERS SAID SECURITY SETTINGS FELT CLEARER AND ACTIONABLE
89% OF CAREGIVERS FELT REASSURED KNOWING SECURITY SETTINGS WERE OPTIMIZED FOR THEIR LOVED ONES
94% OF OLDER ADULTS SUCCESSFULLY SENT AN INVITE WITHOUT NEEDING ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE
87% OF CAREGIVERS ACCEPTED AND COMPLETED THE ONBOARDING PROCESS WITHIN MINUTES OF RECIEVING INVITE
“I’ve always been careful with online security, but I used to feel unsure… The updated settings made it clear what was active and what I needed to change. Now, I feel a lot more in control”
“Setting up the support circle was easy, and I love that I can share little reminders and photos with my mom. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference.”
As the trial runs, the team continues to build out the product, based on tech debts and user feedback while the product team work through the market strategy.
The future vision for this accessible and adaptive experience will continue to be explored to see how it can meet the needs of a wider range of users across existing and upcoming platforms.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Project Thrive showed me that good design is always changing to meet people's needs. Working with others taught me to face challenges with understanding and flexibility. Designing for older adults highlighted the need for simplicity, clarity, and inclusivity. Thrive was not just a project, it was a mission to support the wellbeing of families. I’m proud of our achievements and look forward to the future.