Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
A role selection screen that guides a user down the desired flow.
Background
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a nonprofit that provides food vouchers to low-income seniors. These vouchers can be used at local farmers markets to buy fresh, healthy produce.
My Role
I was the only designer on the project. I led research, product strategy, low and high-fidelity design, and created a lightweight design system to keep things consistent.
I also helped the team prioritize what to build, making sure our limited time and budget focused on what would matter most to the people we were trying to help.
Impact
344% increase in seniors helped over 4 years while also increasing the speed in which admins can approve applications.
Role
Design Lead - Product Designer
Timeline
Jan 2022 - Mar 2022
Team
1 PM, 2 Engineers, 1 Designer
Tools
Figma, Jira, Adobe Suite
Contributions
UI/UX research, analysis, wire-frame prototype, product map/strategy, UI design
Problem
Their system wasn’t working. It never gave seniors the clarity they needed to know if help was coming.
Paper forms, long waits, no way to check status. It quietly alienated the very people it was meant to serve: older adults. Some without transportation, and anyone to advocate for them.
Goal
Create a system that removed the friction of paper-based approvals and gave applicants and their caregivers clarity around their status.
The marketing homepage that directs users to login, sign up, or look for farmers markets near them.
Challenges
The budget was tight, so every decision had to show what was possible.
I focused on the areas where a small shift could unlock the biggest impact. That meant accepting trade-offs. One of the biggest was skipping a custom admin dashboard. It would’ve helped their workflow, but cost too much time and dev lift. I put that effort into improving the front-end flows instead. Better to ship something useful than sink the budget chasing polish.
Research
During discovery, I interviewed program admins and reviewed past application logs. Four insights stood out:
Admins felt the program wasn’t living up to its potential
Many seniors relied on caregivers to help them complete forms
Rural seniors often had no internet or computer access
Admins wanted better tools for volunteer and vendor management
These pointed to a clear need: streamline the admin workflow, but also design for offline, tech-limited seniors.
Alternative role selection screen for an expanded flow.
Opportunities
How might we create a system that is inviting for a less tech-savvy user?
How might we create a solution that unlocks the program’s full potential?
How might we create opportunities for more seniors to be helped?
How might we support staff with an easier way to verify, process, and track applications?
Decisions
With limited time and budget, I had to make every design choice count. Each one aimed to reduce friction for seniors while minimizing admin overhead.
Decision 1
Prioritizing Accessibility with UI Elements
I chose Azo Sans for its high contrast, clarity, and zero cost. Large tap targets and fewer inputs per screen made interactions easier for older eyes and slower hands, especially on iPads.
Decision 2
Add Volunteer Flow to Reach Offline Seniors
A major gap clicked into place: if a senior didn’t have internet, none of this would help them. I designed a volunteer-facing flow that worked on-site at markets. It reused existing screens, just restructured for quick approvals. This small change opened the door for people who would have been left out entirely.
Decision 3
Pivoted from Vendor Features to Roadmap Assets
I had started drafting vendor and volunteer flows, but midway through, we shifted to build. Instead of throwing away the work, I turned it into a design roadmap with actionable next steps. The team now had assets ready for phase two.
Final Design
The final product included two flows. The first featured larger text, fewer fields, and better contrast to improve legibility. The second was a streamlined experience for volunteers to sign up seniors at farmers markets, no tech required. It even produced receipts for both sides.
Behind the scenes, I also completed early UX and UI planning for future vendor approvals.
Outcomes
Senior Participation Growth
Prior to 2022 (before the platform launched): 900 seniors
2022 (launch year): 1,700 seniors → +89% increase
2023: 3,454 seniors → +103% increase
2024: 4,000 seniors → +16% increase
Reflection
In next phases of work, I would test with rural seniors directly to better validate the design. I would also build a custom dashboard to better accommodate the needs of admins and support staff.
The product worked. More seniors got help. That was the real win. I learned to let go of perfect and prioritize impact.