Doro

Doro’s mission is to connect seniors with appropriate products and services. WMP helped them to achieve this by designing an entirely new and consistent collection of phones.

Doro’s market covers a very broard spectrum of users, each with their own specific needs and requirements. In the past this has led to a fragmented product line up without a recognisable Doro DNA. Our first task was to uncover consistent difficulties and frustrations that seniors experience in the journey from choosing a phone, through to routine use.

Once these opportunity areas had been identified, the team explored ways to provide a better user experience, holistically across the range of devices. The project didn’t stop there, we worked with Doro and the manufacturing partners to realise the products through to mass production, keeping a keen eye on cost, whilst minimising design and usability compromises.

Our thorough understanding of the products and market put us in a strong position to support Doro with marketing and sales materials. The lifestyle product photography, animations and film were all designed to connect with the target market.

All of the products released to date have been very well received in the market. The range roll out continues!

Seniors want to own and use devices that meet their needs, without being patronised.

Seniors are no different in wanting to be able to access apps and communication tools, to stay connected with friends and family. They want to do this with products that don’t patronise them, that are easy to use, are elegant, contemporary and simply in tune with their daily needs.

To understand the requirements of the different devices within Doro’s range, our designers conducted in depth interviews with the target market, observing them as they compared competitor products.

The team used tools such as reduced dexterity gloves and visual impairment simulation glasses to help empathise with the physical difficulties that come with age. These insights helped us to understand and prioritise what was truly going to be of value. This provided a grounded platform for ideation.

Creating design language across multiple devices.

We used a number of ‘archetypes’ in order to represent phones that Doro would be likely to develop in the future. This allowed us to explore a range of design themes. We sought physical attributes that could address user needs as well as being distinctive and unique to Doro.

Simple & Non-Patronising.

The simple, soft forms are inviting to touch and convey ease of use.

We developed the designs to have physical attributes that could be applied across all future Doro phone developments. Care was taken to separate important buttons such as the power and assistance key onto separate surfaces to avoid accidental presses.

Our research told us that users were bored with all black smartphones and their subtle interaction points they felt were intimidating. Specifying higher colours along with a distinctive copper central band researched positively and help Doro to stand out in a crowded market. Feature phone keys are high contrast to help legibility of the bold graphics.

Available to Doro phone owners in the case of an emergency, Doro Response enables family and friends and if necessary, an alarm centre to be alerted as soon as they press a dedicated button on the rear of the phone.

To demonstrate how this works, we scripted and filmed a senior going on a fishing trip. He has a fall but activates Doro Response. This automatically triggers a call to his family members but none of them is available. The system then diverts his call to the alarm receiving centre who in turn contact the emergency services who come to his assistance.

This service provides reassurance to families who know that their loved ones are always in safe hands.