Buzz – A Communication Platform For The Elderly
Communication can be frustrating for the elderly – but it doesn’t have to be! Introducing Buzz!
Do you ever feel like your grandparents have a hard time using technology? Is the communication process frustrating for you and your grandparents? This is a real problem for the 700 million grandparents around the world. Current technology is complex, and the communication abilities of our seniors are a little bit different from the rest of society. This digital divide leads to decreased social interactions and contributes to the loneliness epidemic currently faced by more than 40% of seniors.
That’s why we created Buzz! Buzz is a communication platform made for the elderly generation. Buzz is the only social media app for the elderly that includes features like big text and buttons to aid the visually impaired, a voice navigation system to make it easy to navigate the app without a single tap, tiered contacts, and an incredibly simple user interface.
But wait–there’s more! Buzz also provides games, news, reminders, lottery numbers, and a colorblind version. In case you didn’t know, 50% of the elderly generation is colorblind. This is an important function and colorblindness can cause major problems when navigation a mobile device.
During LaunchX, Team Buzz has created an MVP and are now working on the coding necessary for the app to be released on the app store. We plan to grow with frequent user testing, app updates, and more advertising as time goes on. We’ll add more alerts, features, group chats, and family sharing as we grow. Buzz currently has multiple users in the beta testing and have had amazing feedback!
“Buzz is easy to use and helpful. It helps me talk with my teenage grandson using my phone. Regular apps are too confusing, but Buzz is just right!” – Lissa Nelsom
“Buzz is awesome! It helps me talk with my mom, who lives in a nursing home and can’t go in person to meet me!” – Barbara Jones
Biggest Learnings / Advice
Stay Open-Minded: Your first idea will not be perfect, even if you may think it is. Be receptive to constructive criticism that peers and mentors will offer you! They are able to offer you an unbiased analysis of your idea, and their comments are incredibly valuable. By staying open-minded to changes, you can create a product that is better suited for the actual market.
Always Do Your Research: An idea is only good if customers like it. You should keep in contact with your target customer demographic from the very start of your entrepreneurial journey — that way, you know what you need to change and what you can keep in your product or company. You can do this by conducting surveys and interviews, and reading research.
Communication is Key: When working in a team, you have to communicate with them on every decision and idea you have. That way, you can make sure that the team continues to work towards the same goal, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Talk with your team on a daily, or even hourly basis!
Conclusion
There are currently 5 founding team members that compose Buzz: Claire Luo (financials & design), Melinda Liu (branding & marketing), Louis Geer (marketing & programming), Chelsea Hu (research & analytics), and Sally Lee (programming). Each team member has a unique skill set that they contribute to Buzz!
To learn more about Buzz, you can visit our website (chatwithbuzz.com), watch our 2021 LaunchX Demo Day pitch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrvydIhZTCE), and follow us on Instagram at @buzz.application (https://www.instagram.com/buzz.application/)!