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Product sensestretch
Design a social product for people over 70.
How to approach it
Avoid stereotypes. Ask about health, tech comfort and living situation, because a healthy 72-year-old and a 90-year-old in care need different things.
How a strong answer opens
“I'd like to avoid assuming all older adults are alike. A healthy 72-year-old and a 90-year-old in assisted living need different things, so let me ask about health, tech comfort and living situation.”
Outline of a strong answer
Try answering out loud for a few minutes before you open this.
- Clarify goal: reduce loneliness or grow a user base
- Segment by situation: living alone, in assisted living, recently widowed
- Pick people living alone and name their pain points
- Ideas: local interest groups, scheduled calls, video with family, shared activities
- Prioritize low-friction features with large text and simple flows
- Discuss scam and safety risks
- Measure weekly real interactions and self-reported loneliness
Where this question usually goes wrong
Designing a simplified copy of an existing social network based on stereotypes, and forgetting scams and safety.
Learn the method
Pick a user and find real pain points in Module 1, Product sense and design.
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