Parenzo

🌟 Inspiration

Parenzo was inspired by the reality faced by many international students and newcomers: when their parents visit, they often feel guilty for not having enough time to explore the city with them. Many parents feel unsafe, overwhelmed by language barriers, and left without meaningful experiences. With the Designathon theme “Moments that shape memories”, I wanted to create something that protects those moments — even when time together is limited.

💛 What it does

Parenzo is a memory-focused companion platform that connects visiting parents with trusted local companions while transforming their day into shareable, AI-generated Memory Capsules.

Parents can:

• Explore with a safe, verified companion
• Choose companions by language, personality, and comfort level
• Receive gentle-paced, parent-friendly itinerary suggestions
• Capture photos and create scrapbook-style memories

Children can:

• Book companions for their parents
• View live location and real-time updates
• Chat with the companion
• Receive automatically generated Memory Capsules

Parenzo ensures no visit goes without a meaningful moment.

🛠 How we built it

I designed Parenzo following a human-centered UX process:

• Defined the emotional problem space
• Conducted research & built personas
• Identified key insights (loneliness, safety, language barriers)
• Created early sketches and mockups
• Focused on the scrapbook + memory system to reflect the theme
• Designed high-fidelity screens in Figma with warm, memory-based visuals

AI features include:

• Memory Capsule generation
• Gentle tour suggestions
• Companion matching based on language + comfort

🚧 Challenges we ran into

• Narrowing features to make sure they fit the theme.
• Making sure the app felt emotional, not just functional
• Designing for older parents with accessibility needs
• Ensuring companions are trustworthy and safe
• Fitting a multi-flow platform (child, parent, companion) into a simple, clean UI

🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of

As a solo designer, I’m proud that I built an end-to-end product that feels emotionally grounded, solves a real problem, and aligns strongly with the theme. I’m proud of:

• Creating a unique problem space that addresses international family dynamics
• Designing warm, thoughtful UX flows that center on emotion, safety, and belonging
• Building the Memory Capsule + Scrapbook system — the heart of the project
• Turning complex research into a clear, human-focused design
• Speaking to a real gap that many people personally resonated with

This project feels meaningful because it’s not just an app — it’s about care, connection, and preserving memories across distances.

📚 What we learned

This project taught me how powerful design becomes when it focuses on emotion rather than only functionality. I learned how to:

• Translate real human feelings into product features
• Prioritize inclusivity and accessibility for older audiences
• Build a strong narrative around user pain points
• Think in terms of memory, storytelling, and emotional UX
• Manage scope, time, and clarity while building alone

🚀 What's next for Parenzo

Going forward, Parenzo can grow into a fully functional platform by adding:

• In-app AI Memory Generator that crafts stories, captions, and scrapbook layouts
• Advanced companion onboarding with ID verification and background checks
• Voice-first navigation for parents with limited tech familiarity
• Shareable memory timelines for families living abroad
• Local community companion programs for multilingual and cultural matching

The long-term vision is to make Parenzo a trusted companion tool for families around the world — a way to help parents feel comfortable and connected, wherever they go.

Built With

• figma