Doro.
Simplifying digital access for senior users.
Doro, a company renowned for empowering seniors through technology, set out to elevate the mobile experience for its users with the launch of the Doro Aurora line. Doro collaborated with WMP to design the Doro Easy® Interface, a UI framework built to streamline navigation, enhance usability, and foster confidence in digital interactions across the Launcher, Apps and Subscreens that make up the experience.
Sector
Expertise
Solution
Background.
A senior user base that needed technology built around them, not adapted for them.
Doro's goal was an interface that felt intuitive to a generation not raised on smartphones.
Doro's mission is to empower seniors through technology, and the Aurora line needed to meet the needs of a genuinely diverse user base, from long-term feature phone users to those newly transitioning to smartphones. To achieve that, Doro asked WMP to design the Doro Easy® Interface: a comprehensive UI framework to streamline navigation, enhance usability, and foster confidence in digital interactions, addressing the physical and emotional barriers many older adults face with mobile technology.
The Solution.
A design system and research process built around real users.
Building a flexible, accessible design library.
To ensure consistency and accessibility across the Doro Aurora line, WMP developed a comprehensive Figma design library using variables to accommodate different levels of impairment. At its core, the design system adhered to AAA accessibility standards, ensuring optimal contrast, readability and interaction feedback, with variations for text size, button shapes and interaction behaviours, and support for both light and dark UI modes. By integrating accessibility variations at a foundational level, the system dynamically adapted to individual user needs while also streamlining development across the entire Aurora lineup.
Listening to the users, from focus groups to one-to-one testing.
The project began with hybrid focus groups in 2023, engaging older adults, including long-term feature phone users and those newly transitioning to smartphones, to understand the barriers they face with mobile technology. This research uncovered key challenges around confidence, dexterity, screen readability and message composition, and shaped the direction of the Aurora line.
User testing then followed across two phases with twelve seniors aged 60 and above: the first on a 4-inch Doro Easy® Interface prototype, where participants liked the compact design but struggled with the small keypad and inconsistent navigation; the second on a more polished Aurora 20 Flip, praised for its physical design, though challenges with data input and app organisation persisted and shaped the final product.
Improving navigation and input based on what testing revealed.
The UI design prioritises simplicity, with a tactile flip numpad and a responsive screen. In response to navigation challenges seen in testing, the contacts list was set to appear by default, and the system was designed to return users to the main menu after inactivity. Button sizes and spacing were also optimised to reduce typing errors, with clearer feedback mechanisms introduced to reassure users that their actions had been successful, making tasks like adding contacts and favourites easier and more intuitive.
Streamlining app organisation.
App organisation was a common source of confusion during testing. Many participants struggled with unclear terminology and unintuitive flows, particularly when attempting to reorder or remove apps. The updated system simplifies these tasks by using familiar language and prioritising logical interactions. For example, newly added apps now occupy the first available space, and the process of removing shortcuts is distinctly separated from uninstalling apps. These changes created a more intuitive experience, empowering users to customise their devices with confidence.
Designing for accessibility.
Feedback from testing sessions informed a range of design improvements to enhance accessibility. The contrast ratio of green buttons was optimised to improve visibility, and gesture-based controls were simplified for less dexterous users. For experienced smartphone users, additional interaction options were introduced, providing a balance between simplicity and functionality. A guided setup wizard and printed help guides were also created to support users during onboarding, ensuring they felt confident navigating their new devices.
Let's work together
Let's partner to create brand, product, and experience solutions that move people and markets.
The impact.
A launch built on confidence, not compromise.
The Doro Aurora line launched in the second quarter of 2025 across the Aurora A10, A20 and A30. Independent reviews have borne out the design work: reviewing the Aurora A30, the Irish Examiner noted that 'the text is easy to read and icons are well-spaced, thanks to Doro's Easy Interface, which simplifies the Android layout without stripping away functionality.' By focusing on simplicity, usability and accessibility, the Aurora devices help seniors navigate essential digital services with confidence and ease.
