Senior Planet

Reinventing a technology-education website for older adults.

A nonprofit dedicated to “leveraging the power of technology to improve the way we age,” Senior Planet is best known for its technology classes for older adults. This New York–based organization operates tech-themed community centers in several U.S. cities, and it offers programs for older adults across five impact areas: financial security, social engagement, creative expression, health and wellness, and civic participation. Senior Planet’s motto is “Aging With Attitude.”

In 2019, Senior Planet wanted to redesign its website to make it more useful and intuitive for its members and supporters around the country. They hired me to assemble a small team and get the work done quickly on a tight budget. I took on several roles: project lead, creative lead, content strategist, and UI/UX designer. I hired a visual designer and a WordPress developer to round out the team.

Early on, we established that the new website should prioritize and strengthen the relationship between Senior Planet and its members, and it should serve as a powerful engine for converting site visitors into members, supporters, and advocates. Among our specific priorities:

• Develop a fresh approach for the homepage that boldly communicates all the things Senior Planet is up to, and how everyone can get involved.

• Restructure the information architecture to provide quick, obvious routes into the most important sections and information.

• Build the design system on a foundation of bold typography and iconography, to lessen the need for lots of ongoing image development and placement.

• Develop robust sections for each of Senior Planet’s physical locations, enabling them to function as lively hubs for practical info, member engagement, member highlights and profiles, and advocacy tools.

• Reorient content development to prioritize stories and resources that are central to Senior Planet’s mission: guides, how tos, location-specific news, and member highlights.

• Redesign the entire experience of browsing and signing up for classes, and make it possible for Senior Planet to offer online courses in the near future.

When we launched the site in late 2019, Senior Planet had only offered a few online courses in its history. When the pandemic hit a few months later, the new site enabled them to begin offering online courses at scale. Today, online courses are a significant part of Senior Planet’s offering.

In 2021, Senior Planet was acquired by AARP. The site has been reorganized a bit since we launched it, but our original work is still the foundation. Visit the Senior Planet site.