In Planning

Friends of Poway Seniors — Website Refurbishment

Modernizing a community senior support organization's web presence with simplified navigation, clearer communication, and a dedicated meal tracker — while preserving their mission of serving Poway's elderly population.

Visit Friends of Poway Seniors → View FOPS Open Coding Platform →

Friends of Poway Seniors

Making Senior Support Accessible Online

A design-based research capstone that rebuilds the Friends of Poway Seniors web presence with clarity and compassion. The organization provides essential services to Poway's elderly community — meal deliveries, social connections, transportation assistance, and wellness checks — but its current site buries this mission under cluttered navigation and unstructured layouts. This project delivers a clean, intuitive interface that makes the organization's purpose immediately clear, gives seniors and their families easy access to services, and introduces a novel meal tracking feature to help elderly users monitor their nutrition with support from caregivers.

🔧 Key Improvements

✓ Simplify navigation — reduce dropdown clutter from 7+ options to 3 clear links

✓ Remove unnecessary top-level items like Business Directory

✓ Add prominent CTA buttons (Donate, Volunteer, Get Help) above the fold

✓ Clean up layout with consistent spacing and logical visual hierarchy

✓ Replace placeholder images with real event photography

✓ Surface contact info, hours, and location in a prominent banner

✓ Introduce meal tracker for seniors to log daily nutrition

✓ Mobile-responsive design for elderly users and caregivers

🛠️ Technologies & Features

Simplified Navigation Architecture Mobile-First Responsive Design Meal Tracker Dashboard Prominent CTA Integration Contact Information Banner Real Photography Integration Accessible UI Components

✨ Impact

Reduces cognitive load for elderly users through simplified menus
Makes donation and volunteer opportunities impossible to miss
Builds trust through authentic photography of real community impact
Helps seniors and caregivers track daily nutrition with meal logger
Ensures critical contact info is always visible and accessible
Preserves the organization's mission while modernizing its presentation
Sets a foundation for future digital services (event RSVP, meal scheduling)

🚀 Platform Features

Smart Features Coming to FOPS

We're building an intelligent, engaging platform to better serve Poway seniors and volunteers.

🤖

AI Chatbot 24/7 virtual assistant to answer questions, provide resources, and guide seniors through services ✓ Already Available

🧠

Machine Learning Personalized content recommendations and intelligent matching between seniors and volunteers ⚙️ In Development

🙋

Volunteer Signup Portal Easy online registration, schedule management, and opportunity matching for volunteers ✓ Already Available

🎮

Gamification Points, badges, and achievements to make engagement fun and rewarding for all users ⚙️ Coming Soon

📊

Event Predictor New AI-powered forecasting so FOPS always has the right people and the right amount of food — before the day of the event.

🙌 Volunteer needs Predicts how many volunteers are needed per event based on type, size, and historical turnout

🍽️ Food needs Forecasts meal quantities and dietary requirements to reduce waste and prevent shortages

⚙️ In Development

Our goal is to create an interactive, engaging platform that makes staying connected with FOPS both easy and enjoyable.