Inspiration
Watching my mom struggle to find the right assisted living facility sparked this project. She and thousands of seniors deserve a stress-free way to navigate senior housing—no jargon, no overwhelming choices, just clear, compassionate tools tailored to their needs.
What it does
Senior Housing Finder helps seniors (55+), families, and caregivers find, compare, and select senior living options (Independent Living, Assisted Living, etc.). It offers search filters, side-by-side comparisons, reviews, a needs assessment quiz, and a cost calculator to guide confident decisions.
How we built it
We started with user-centric design—prioritizing readability, accessibility, and warm, calming visuals aligned with senior needs. We built the frontend with HTML/CSS/JavaScript, using native APIs (Intersection Observer, Canvas) for animations, and crafted responsive layouts for all devices. Every interaction (hover states, scroll animations) was fine-tuned for smooth, intuitive use.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing rich animations (mesh gradients, particle fields) with performance was tough—we had to optimize keyframe animations to avoid lag on older devices. Also, designing for accessibility (font sizes, color contrast) while maintaining the premium visual aesthetic required iterative testing and adjustments.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a UI that’s both visually engaging and senior-friendly—no small feat! The scroll-triggered animations feel premium but never overwhelming, and the tools (cost calculator, needs quiz) are practical and easy to use. We’re proud it puts seniors’ needs at the center, not afterthoughts.
What we learned
We learned that accessibility and aesthetics don’t have to compete—with intentional design, you can have both. We also gained deeper insight into the unique challenges of senior housing decision-making, which shaped every feature to be empathetic and solution-focused.
What's next for this project
We plan to add geolocation integration to show nearby facilities on a map, expand the review database with more resident/family feedback, and introduce a mobile app version for on-the-go access. We also want to partner with senior care organizations to validate and expand our facility data.
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