Laulau
Preserving Family Stories through Accessible Design
Overview:
Role: Founder & Head of Product
Duration: October 2021 – December 2022
Scope: From concept to App Store
Impact: Scaled to ██ Monthly Active Users
The Challenge: Preserving Family Legacy in a Disconnected Digital Age
In 2021, families faced unprecedented disconnection, with the pandemic highlighting how easily precious memories and family histories can be lost forever. This created several critical issues:
A growing gap between generations due to untold family stories
Increasing social isolation of elderly family members
Limited tools for meaningful digital connection beyond WhatsApp
The pandemic exacerbated these challenges, as families were physically separated, and the urgency to preserve family stories became more apparent.
The Solution: Creating an Authentic and Accessible Family History Discovery Experience
My research indicated that preserving family memories required addressing both the immediate need for connection and the technological barriers facing older generations. My hypothesis: guided conversations and curated questions create stronger family bonds than unstructured communication.
Laulau emerged from this hypothesis: a family memory preservation app built on a foundation of carefully curated questions, secure video recording, and an intuitive user experience that could bridge generational tech gaps.
Research: Understanding the Emotional Core of Memory Preservation
Through interviews with family members, nursing home residents, and grandchildren, I uncovered three key insights:
Question Gap: People wanted to ask meaningful questions but didn’t know where to start
Recording Hesitation: Both younger and older generations felt awkward about initiating recordings, they needed plausible deniability
Technology Barrier: Existing solutions were too complex for elderly users, who often felt overwhelmed by complicated interfaces
Monthly search volume for keywords such as "record family" and "family story book" increased 3x year-over-year, indicating latent demand to build family connection. This trend is also validated by Reddit discussions emphasizing the desire for deeper emotional bonds.
Why Multi-Generational Immigrant Families Were Chosen as the Target Group
Multi-generational immigrant families emerged as the ideal initial target group for three reasons:
Story Wealth: Families struggled to capture important memories before they were lost, especially during the pandemic when physical gatherings were limited
Post-Pandemic Priority: Increased desire for meaningful family connection after prolonged periods of isolation
Technology Barrier: Existing solutions were too complex for elderly users, who often felt overwhelmed by complicated interfaces
Designing the Solution: Balancing Technological Accessibility with Emotional Depth
The main design exercise was to balance the needs of elderly users (simple, intuitive interface) with younger generations (engaging, modern experience) while maintaining emotional authenticity. The core of the solution revolved around the recording screen and the engagement loop, which went through multiple iterations based on families’ feedback (both grandparents and grandchildren).
Iteration 1: Simple Question Navigation Interface
The early prototypes revealed that many older users struggled with the physical motion of swiping (Tinder-style swiping motion), leading to frustration and decreased engagement.
Simplified Navigation: Replaced swipe gestures with prominent left and right buttons, allowing elderly users to comfortably browse through questions at their own pace
Iteration 2: Integrated Video-Text Experience
Based on consistent feedback from elderly testers who wanted multiple ways to engage with recorded content, I developed a split-screen solution that combined video playback with synchronized text transcripts.
Dual-Mode Viewing: Split-screen interface displaying video recordings alongside real-time transcriptions, allowing users to both watch and read simultaneously
Synchronized Scrolling: Text automatically followed along with video playback, maintaining perfect alignment between spoken and written content
Designing a Gentle Re-engagement Strategy
Maintaining consistent usage required careful balance. I crafted a notification strategy that combined:
Gentle Reminders: Encouraging users to capture stories from specific family members
Celebration of Family Milestones: Reminders for anniversaries and special occasions
Crafting a simple high-contrast design system
The visual design prioritized accessibility and readability for elderly users while maintaining a modern, engaging appearance for younger generations:
Bold typography with 18pt minimum font size for all interactive elements
High-contrast color palette with a clear visual hierarchy
Large, tactile buttons with generous touch targets
Simple iconography with supporting text labels
The high-contrast interface made the app accessible while maintaining a contemporary feel that appealed to all generations.
Challenges & Breakthroughs
Challenge: Competing with Entrenched Communication Habits
Solution: Rather than fighting existing behaviors, we integrated with WhatsApp via URL sharing, leveraging its ubiquity among both older and younger users. This "meet them where they are" approach increased Day-30 retention by 12% compared to previous iteration.
Challenge: Intimidating Video Recording Experience
Solution: Elderly users showed higher success rates in video responses after I reduced the self-view camera display and enlarged the question card. This design change addressed the hesitation I observed during usability testing, where many users appeared uncomfortable with the prominent full-face recording view.
Outcomes: Transforming Family History into Living Legacy
Rapid Growth: Scaled to ██ Monthly Active Users within the first 6 months
Global Reach: Expanded from UK launch to families worldwide
Social Impact: Preserved countless family stories while strengthening intergenerational bonds
App Launch: Getting Initial Feedback from Grandadjoe's 8M followers (@grandadjoe1933)
Lessons Learned: Designing for Emotional Connection
This project proved the power of combining technological accessibility with emotional depth. By reframing family storytelling as a guided, preservable experience, we didn’t just build an app; we created a bridge between generations. Laulau demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform family relationships and preserve precious memories for future generations.
Key Insights
Familiar Tech Beats Novel Features: Integration with existing messaging platforms outperforms standalone solutions
Timing Drives Engagement More Than Features: Success depends more on when we prompt users than what features we offer
Reciprocity Creates Sustainability: Two-way question selection increased user retention
