Erick Olivares

The Library Foundation of Los Angeles strengthens the Los Angeles Public Library by funding free programs, resources, and services for millions. Through advocacy and innovation, it highlights the library's value and connects people to its resources. To inspire community engagement, we juggled a couple of different ideas to bring people together but ultimately created a video showcasing the joy of local libraries and how to get involved.

Is there a way to redefine member affiliation with LFLA that feels like they are still part of this mission-driven organization, clarifying what their support makes possible rather than what they get in return? To explore how member affiliation can better reflect a shared mission, we embarked on a journey of discovery—conducting interviews, online and field research, and engaging with the community to uncover challenges facing LFLA and the ALOUD program.

Through our interviews with subject matter experts, we uncovered a wealth of valuable insights that ultimately shaped our approach to addressing the challenges at hand. One of the key findings revealed that membership retention and affiliation were noticeably low, particularly following events. While attendees often felt engaged during the events, that enthusiasm frequently diminished once they returned home. This disconnect highlighted an opportunity to strengthen the connection between members and the Library Foundation’s mission beyond in-person experiences. Armed with this critical insight, we developed a strategic solution: a promotional video designed to inspire ongoing engagement.

Our solution emerged as a win-win opportunity: a series of short videos designed to strengthen connections within the LFLA community. These videos, presented at the beginning or end of events depending on the context, could feature interviews and testimonials from a diverse range of individuals—dedicated board members, long-standing attendees, enthusiastic participants, and others who value their connection to LFLA. This interview-driven promo series would not only highlight the personal stories of those involved but also underscore the vital role LFLA plays in fostering community. Shared during events and across social media, these videos would celebrate the organization’s impact and inspire others to engage.

Our project went through many iterations, but ultimately we focused on supporting the independence of older adults who can no longer drive and lack caregivers to assist them. We spent a lot of time deeply considering how to make this challenge more manageable and accessible for everyone. That’s how we created Wheelie — a service designed to empower elderly individuals by giving them the freedom to maintain their independence.

With all of this in mind, we kept coming back to one central question — something meaningful to solve, something worth answering, and something we truly cared about. We wanted to explore how autonomous vehicles could specifically support individuals seeking greater independence, especially those who feel confined, trapped, or socially isolated. Our goal was to ensure that no one would feel limited or left out because of their level of mobility or freedom. The data supported our assumptions, so we formulated a clear, simple design question: "How might we use autonomous vehicles to help elderly individuals become less dependent on their caregivers?" With this guiding question, we set off on the journey to create Wheelie.

Jamal represents a very real and rapidly growing group of older adults navigating a world that’s changing faster than ever. Through our extensive research, we uncovered several key insights. As people age, mobility becomes a significant challenge. Physical limitations start to emerge, technology evolves quickly, and in many cases, it simply becomes easier to rely on public transportation. Approximately 10% of seniors living in urban areas use public transportation, with 20% relying on it specifically for medical appointments. The impact of these mobility challenges is clear: increased social isolation, reduced physical activity, and a heavier dependence on family members or caregivers for basic errands and appointments. These aren’t just minor inconveniences — they have a real and lasting effect on quality of life. Jamal, like many older adults, shared that driving means freedom to him. However, he also feels the societal pressure to give up his keys years before he personally feels ready. On average, older adults outlive their ability to drive safely by 7 to 10 years, which creates an urgent need for alternative transportation solutions to help maintain their independence. This is the core of the problem we set out to solve. We asked ourselves: how can we preserve that sense of independence while still ensuring safety? We didn’t want individuals like Jamal to have to completely rely on someone else’s schedule, like Martha’s, just to manage their daily lives. With that challenge in mind, we continued developing Wheelie.

For our project, we designed Wheelie, a transportation solution that empowers older adults to maintain their independence through the use of autonomous vehicles, while keeping accessibility, flexibility, and caregiver connection at its core. Our final product is a thoughtfully designed mobile application tailored specifically for elderly users. The UI features large text, bright colors, and high contrast for readability, along with optional voice interaction that allows users to complete every core task hands-free—from onboarding to daily planning. For example, if a user like Jamal says, “I’d like to be at physical therapy by 9,” the app automatically calculates the necessary pickup time and provides a confirmation step before booking. Once plans are confirmed, users can easily share their itinerary with caregivers, who then have access to a live, updating view of their schedule, allowing for passive monitoring without fostering a sense of dependence. We also prioritized flexibility. Users can easily adapt plans by tapping a Snooze button to delay a pickup or simply selecting Next Stop when they’re ready to move on, ensuring seamless, real-time adjustments with minimal effort. To measure success, we focused on three key outcomes: increasing adoption compared to current rideshare solutions, ensuring users complete their itineraries successfully, and minimizing caregiver intervention. Our design emphasizes autonomy, simplicity, and peace of mind for both users and their support networks. Future considerations include developing the app’s backend infrastructure, estimating development costs, choosing an appropriate AI model, and improving the physical accessibility of the vehicle itself. Wheelie is designed to provide freedom, flexibility, and safety — giving older adults control over their mobility once again.