Theme: Bridging Generational Gaps
Different generations often see the world through different lenses, creating barriers to understanding, communication, and belonging. Our project responds directly to this challenge by using design to spark shared experiences, cultural continuity, and natural storytelling between younger and older generations.
Our Project
Bamboo is an intergenerational video-calling platform designed to bridge generational gaps by transforming how families connect across age, culture, and distance. Instead of centering calls around forced conversation, Bamboo uses shared activities such as games, traditions, and collaborative play to create natural moments of understanding and connection.
By starting with play, Bamboo removes the awkwardness often associated with intergenerational calls and allows stories to emerge organically. The platform embeds traditional, culturally familiar East Asian games directly into video calls, enabling families to bond through shared experiences rather than sustained dialogue. Bamboo is designed for grandparents, loved by Gen Z, and built to preserve meaningful relationships across generations. Through intuitive design, cultural relevance, and simplicity, Bamboo reframes communication as a rewarding shared experience rather than an obligation.
Research Process and Findings
To understand how generational gaps affect communication, connection, and belonging within families, we conducted mixed-method research focused on intergenerational relationships, particularly within Asian families. Our goal was to identify emotional and technological barriers to connection, understand differences in communication styles across generations, and explore how shared activities and traditions could foster more meaningful relationships.
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS AND OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH
Over one weekend, we conducted 14 in-depth interviews (link) with younger and older relatives across multiple families through a mix of in-person conversations and virtual video calls. Interviewing multiple generations within the same families allowed us to capture contrasting perspectives on the same interactions.
We explored:
- Comfort with existing video-calling platforms
- Frequency and duration of intergenerational communication
- Emotional barriers such as awkwardness, obligation, or conversational pressure
- Familiar activities, games, and cultural practices that encouraged bonding
We also observed how participants navigated video-calling interfaces in real environments, noting points of confusion and anxiety, especially among older adults.
KEY FINDINGS AND INSIGHTS
Several consistent themes emerged:
- Conversational pressure creates anxiety. Older relatives feared “not knowing what to say,” while younger participants described calls as emotionally draining.
- Technology amplifies generational gaps. Elders struggled with small text, cluttered interfaces, and unclear controls.
- Bonding happens faster through shared activity. Participants consistently reported stronger connection when doing something together.
- Traditional games act as social equalizers. Familiar games removed hierarchy, encouraged participation, and sparked storytelling.
These findings align with research showing that activity-based interaction lowers anxiety for both older adults and younger people. Shared activities create side-by-side bonding, similar to walking or cooking together, where attention is placed on a shared object rather than forced eye contact.
COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, AND CULTURAL BENEFITS
Participants noted that light, turn-based games improved elders’ mood, memory recall, and sense of purpose. Narratives emerged naturally during play and story fragments surfaced organically rather than through structured questioning. Younger relatives described these moments as more authentic and emotionally meaningful.
IMPACT ON BAMBOO’S DESIGN
These insights directly shaped Bamboo’s design. Rather than building a conversation-first platform, we embedded shared, culturally familiar activities into the core communication experience, allowing design itself to bridge generational differences.
Important Design Decisions
EARLY IDEA PIVOTING: DESIGNING FOR A REAL INTERGENERATIONAL PROBLEM
Early concepts explored abstract ways technology could support connection, but they lacked grounding in an everyday friction. Research revealed the real issue: intergenerational calling often feels awkward, intimidating, and effortful, especially for older adults. Existing tools assume equal technological comfort across generations, unintentionally widening the gap. Bamboo pivots away from this assumption by letting design do the bridging.
ASYMMETRIC ONBOARDING: MEETING EACH GENERATION WHERE THEY ARE
One of our most important design decisions was creating an asymmetric onboarding flow. Younger users create an account, start a call, and generate a link. Older users do not need to sign up, download an app, or configure settings; they simply press a link and enter the call immediately.
This removes one of the biggest barriers to intergenerational connection: technology anxiety. The experience feels closer to answering a phone call than learning a new platform, dramatically lowering friction and increasing participation.
EXTREME SIMPLICITY: “GRANDMA UI” DESIGN PRINCIPLES
To support this frictionless access, Bamboo follows strict simplicity rules:
- One screen at a time
- One action per screen
- Large, readable text
- No scrolling
- No icons without labels
- Default settings that always “just work”
These constraints reduce cognitive load and keep focus on interaction rather than navigation.
SHARED ACTIVITIES AS THE FOUNDATION OF CONNECTION
Bamboo embeds traditional East Asian games such as virtual Mahjong, Shogi, and Gonggi directly into video calls. The interaction flow is simple: Open Bamboo → Start a Call → Pick an Activity → Stories emerge naturally.
These lightweight, turn-based games reduce conversational pressure, enable side-by-side bonding, and encourage storytelling without forcing dialogue. Both generations participate as equals, bridging gaps in communication styles and expectations.
REFRAMING THE CALL EXPERIENCE
Ultimately, Bamboo reframes calling from a responsibility into a reward. The problem is not that younger generations do not care, it is that calling often feels like emotional labor. By combining intuitive access, zero-friction onboarding, and shared activities, Bamboo transforms “I should call grandma” into “Let’s play something together.”
How We Used AI in The Design Process
We used AI as a supportive design tool to rapidly prototype and iterate Bamboo. AI tools helped generate an initial video-calling interface template, including chat, game selection, and call controls. We used ChatGPT to generate representative user images for our prototypes, helping visualize intergenerational use cases and accessibility needs.
Google Gemini supported Bamboo’s visual identity and logo development. Figma Make enabled rapid layout generation, while Codex assisted with feature iteration and refinement. These tools reduced technical friction and allowed us to focus on intuitive design, accessibility, cultural relevance, and meaningful intergenerational connection.
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