WORK ABOUT CONTACT

INDUSTRIAL / UX/UI

Amity Board Game Console

Nearly a quarter of adults over 65 are socially isolated, and a video call alone rarely feels like time spent together. Our team designed Amity, a board game console that pairs physical playing pieces with integrated video calling so families can share a game across any distance. Every decision came back to how it should feel: tactile pieces for warmth, and an interface simple enough that older players feel competent and included.

TEAM MEMBERS

Callan McGill, Hayley Stout, James Krasner

PERSONAL ROLE

Ideation, UX/UI, physical prototyping, CAD

THE PROBLEM

Elderly Isolation

1/4

Nearly 1/4 of adults aged over 65 are considered to be socially isolated

50%

Social isolation has been associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia as well as an increased risk of many other serious medical conditions

IDEATION

An interactive game board could provide a genuine connection over age differences

PERSONAS

Three composite users built from our research on isolation across generations. Amity had to work for all three at once: familiar enough for Joan, playful enough for Maya, and simple enough that David never has to step in.

Joan

78 · Retired teacher · Lives in a retirement community in Richmond, VA

"I'd play cards with them every day if they lived closer."

Daily life — Moved into a retirement community after her husband passed. Plays cards in the common room, does the morning crossword, and talks to her son once a week on a tablet he set up for her.

Needs — Regular, low-effort time with family that feels like being together, not like a check-in.

Frustrations — Apps and settings she doesn't recognize; video calls that run out of things to say after a few minutes.

TECH COMFORT

WITH AMITY

Plays with Maya from the community's game room on Sunday afternoons, and with friends down the hall the rest of the week.

Card gamesCrosswordsGardening

Maya

9 · Third grader · Lives two states away

"Calls with Grandma are kind of boring. I don't know what to say."

Daily life — School, soccer practice twice a week, and a tablet she's allowed to use after homework. Sees her grandmother at holidays.

Needs — Something to do together on a call, with pieces she can actually pick up and move.

Frustrations — Sitting still in front of a screen with nothing to do while adults talk.

TECH COMFORT

WITH AMITY

Picks the game, moves her piece, and teases Grandma when it's taking too long.

Board gamesDrawingSoccer

David

45 · Project manager · Joan's son, coordinates the family

"Every new device turns into me troubleshooting over the phone."

Daily life — Works full time, has two kids, and is the one his mother calls when something stops working. Worries about her being alone.

Needs — A setup his mother can run without him, and an easy reason for his kids to call her.

Frustrations — Walking a parent through tech remotely; family calls that are hard to schedule and harder to keep going.

TECH COMFORT

WITH AMITY

Knows the community's staff can help with setup, so he never has to troubleshoot from afar.

RunningFamily dinnersPodcasts

PRODUCT DESIGN GOALS

Values Physicality

To create a sense of comfort and desire to use, we aimed to include physical parts and pieces to the product design in hopes that feels warm, familiar, and nostalgic

Easy to Learn + Operate

Not all age people are accustomed to regular use of digital products, and to allow elderly people to feel competent and included, we worked to create thoughtful, inclusive user interface design

Engaging to All Ages

Since board games are a common experience across all age groups, this console offers a comfortable and intuitive way for older adults to connect with others, bridging generational gaps and fostering social interaction

PHYSICAL TESTING

button and icon size

We tested button and icon sizes against reduced dexterity, scaling targets up until they could be hit confidently on the first try. Labels were rewritten in plain language, dropping any terminology that would read as foreign to someone who doesn't use digital products daily.

game piece size

Pieces had to stay manageable for shaky hands. We sized them to be gripped with the whole hand rather than pinched, and raised them enough off the console that lifting one never turns into a fumble.

reach and posture

Full-scale cardboard mockups let us check reach from a seated position at a real table. Every control had to fall inside a comfortable arc without leaning over the board, and the second screen had to sit at an angle that doesn't force the head down.

THE BOARD

Console with second screen in portrait position

Console with second screen in landscape position

board only

Illuminated Power Button

Easy to locate power button that visually indicates power status and battery levels

Magnetic Adjustable Hinge

Allows easy transfer of second screen from each port with the ability to tilt for best positioning

Curved Aluminum Form with Feet

Negative space underneath as well as soft curves were added to ease the process of picking up the device, while the defined feet indicate placement on the table

Callouts: backlit power button, 2x screen ports, USB-C charging port, screen connector, screen hinge, front-facing camera

ADDITIONAL PARTS

16 clear pieces

4 mini pieces

stylus

USB-C charger

PLAYING PIECES

mini piece

standard piece range

USER INTERFACE

Digital Layout

One layout carries every game: the board fills the main screen, a colored rail holds turn state and messaging, and the second screen stays with the video call.

Zones

Blue is the play surface, red is the persistent side rail, and yellow is the second screen. Holding those positions constant across titles means a player relearns nothing when the game changes.

Chess on the landscape board with the video call on the second screen

Clue on the square board with the video call on the second screen

Final UI

One layout, every game

Chess, Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, cards and sketch games in the same layout

Wireframes

Device Setup

Language, network, appearance, accessibility, and notifications

Game Setup and Play

Starting a new game, choosing an opponent, placing pieces, and a turn in play

BRAND IDENTITY

Logo

The logo features a round typeface to reflect the fun, playfulness of the brand.

am·i·ty

n. friendship, cooperative and supportive friendship

Color Scheme

The color scheme features offshoots of the primary colors to evoke a sense of excitement and fun to the identity of the brand.

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Mission

Amity aims to provide simple, understandable design to reduce user interface frustration for users that don't regularly interact with digital interfaces to encourage meaningful engagement with loved ones. The goal is to provide a fun, shared experience, using familiar, physical playing pieces and live, integrated video calling.

PACKAGING

Boxed for Play

The box includes everything needed for a shared game experience. The reusable box includes a digital board game console, standard pieces, mini pieces, a stylus, and a USB-C charger. The external sleeve clearly shows the interior contents on the bottom while displaying the logo on top.

Product Sleeve

Included in the box: game board, secondary display, 16 clear pieces, 4 mini pieces, stylus

Expansion Packs

The expansion kits allow users who value the familiar feeling character pieces to play with their favorite pieces with the game console.

Older woman starting a chess game on the Amity console at her dining table

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