Caring Village
Caring Village · U.S. caregiving technology
Relaunching a caregiving platform across web, iOS and Android, with an AI virtual caregiver.
Audit, product discovery, UX/UI redesign, a native iOS app, AI features and subscription logic for families coordinating care together.
01 Executive summary
A promising caregiving product needed direction, a modern experience and AI to grow.
Client and market
Caring Village is an American caregiving technology company. Its platform lets people build a private, shared “village” of support to coordinate care as a family.
Challenge
The project was returning after a long hiatus. It had an active user base but needed a roadmap, a modern UI on top of a legacy web app, a new iOS app, and a subscription model that fits a shared space.
Product
A web platform and native iOS and Android apps with the same functionality, for caregivers, care recipients and medical professionals, plus Julia, an AI virtual caregiver.
What Digital Growth Labs delivered
- A 1.5-month product discovery: research, roadmap, backlog and subscription logic
- A full UX/UI redesign and new style guide, with accessibility at the centre
- A native iOS app from scratch, plus support for the client's Android and backend teams
- Julia, the AI virtual caregiver, and a freemium subscription model
12
Specialists on the team
1.5mo
Product discovery phase
3
Platforms: web, iOS, Android
15
Core features across platforms
Attribution. Digital Growth Labs delivered the Caring Village platform relaunch as white-label delivery partner to SolveIt, where this project is also published.
02 The challenge
Caregivers need coordinated support, and the platform built to give it needed a relaunch.
More than 63 million people in the U.S. provide informal care, often without the tools, support or guidance they need. Caring Village exists to make care more accessible, coordinated and human, but after a long pause the product was ready to grow without a clear direction.
Market context as cited in SolveIt's case study, not a project result.
Problems caregivers face
- Guilt and self-doubt
- Lack of medical knowledge
- Coordination overload
- Limited personal freedom and time
- Communication breakdown
- Isolation and loneliness
- Sleep deprivation
- Financial strain
Business goal
Revitalise the product for an active user base, define what to build first and next, and set up a revenue stream through subscriptions.
Product complexity
Caregivers, care recipients and medical professionals share one private village, and need the same functionality on web, iOS and Android.
Technical complexity
- Legacy server-side web app
- Separate mobile and backend systems
- New iOS app to align with the ecosystem
- Subscriptions shared across village members
- Platform store rules
- AI assistant using platform data
Core problem
Relaunch a collaborative care product on three platforms and add AI, without destabilising the legacy systems its existing users depend on.
03 Our approach
Research first, then a redesign and rebuild that kept existing systems stable.
The engagement moved from audit and discovery to design, architecture and delivery, with each step tied to relaunching the product for real caregivers.
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01
Audit and consulting
Audited the project after its long hiatus and advised on a scalable roadmap for the first release and the growth stages after it.
What it solvedA paused product got a clear, prioritised direction.
-
02
Product discovery
A 1.5-month discovery: caregiving research, competitor analysis, co-creation workshops, value-based feature mapping and a free versus premium split.
What it solvedThe first release focused on high-impact features.
-
03
UX/UI redesign
Redesigned the web platform first, then used it as the foundation for iOS and Android, with a new style guide that kept the logo and core palette.
What it solvedA consistent, accessible experience on every platform.
-
04
Architecture
Rebuilt the web UI on a modern component-based framework integrated into the existing backend, and introduced shared cross-platform business logic for mobile.
What it solvedModernisation without disrupting legacy systems.
-
05
Development
Built the native iOS app from scratch, supported Android and backend delivery alongside the client's in-house team, and implemented AI features and subscriptions.
What it solvedFaster release through reuse and embedded developers.
-
06
QA and launch
Tested the Android app and launched native iOS and Android apps and the web platform.
What it solvedOne relaunch across three platforms.
03 Product discovery
A 1.5-month discovery turned audience insight into a buildable roadmap.
Discovery package: Product Duration: 1.5 months
Step 1
Research and industry analysis
- Overview of informal caregiving in the U.S.
- Caregiver pain points and barriers to adopting technology
- Technology trends in caregiving
- Competitor analysis, including indirect competitors by core function
- First exploration of AI capabilities for the platform
Step 2
Product strategy and ideation
- Audit of existing product functionality
- Co-creation workshops with the client
- Collecting and prioritising product ideas
- Value-based feature mapping for release one and beyond
- Defining the free and premium feature split
- Aligning with platform guidelines and restrictions
Step 3
Technical deliverables
- Backlog broken into epics and user stories
- Stories linked to goals, logic and monetisation
- Subscription logic: activation, switching, cancellation, paywalls
- Documentation for edge cases and subscription flows
- Implementation, schedule and resource plans
Why it mattered
Subscriptions had to work with store rules and a shared village space. Designing that logic and its edge cases during discovery gave development a documented, prioritised plan to build from.
04 The product
A private village where everyone involved in someone's care works from the same plan.
Village creator
Caregiver
Create a village
A private group for family, friends and professionals
Invite members
Assign roles and manage participants
Plan care
Shared calendar, care plans, medication tracking
Coordinate
To-dos, chats and flexible notifications
Full functionality on web, iOS and Android with sync; premium access is managed for the shared village rather than for each person
Village members
Family, friends, professionals
Join by invitation
Switch between villages
Follow the plan
Calendar, tasks and checklists
Share updates
Wellness journal feed and documents
Get support
Ask Julia for guidance and resources
04 Key screens
The same care tools on the web and in the native apps.
05 Engineering
Modernise the experience, reuse logic across platforms, and leave legacy systems stable.
Experiences
Same functionality on each
Web platform
Redesigned on a modern component-based framework, replacing a legacy server-side UI
iOS app
Native, built from scratch
Android app
Native, built with the client's team, with development support and testing
Shared layer
Shared cross-platform business logic
Reused across mobile platforms to speed up development, reduce duplication and keep behaviour consistent
Julia, AI virtual caregiver
Generative assistant using user activity and platform data
Backend and services
Client's existing backend
Maintained as a separate system; extended with the client's backend team
Subscriptions
Freemium, monthly and annual plans, village-level access, platform store rules
A new web UI on a legacy backend
The original web app used legacy server-side technology. The redesign moved it to a modern component-based framework integrated into the existing backend architecture.
One set of business logic for mobile
The mobile app and backend were separate systems, and iOS was new. A shared cross-platform approach let both mobile apps reuse the same business logic.
Embedded with the client's team
Dedicated backend and mobile developers worked alongside Caring Village's in-house specialists to speed up the release.
05 Stack and decisions
The published case study describes the approach, the exact tools still need confirming.
- Web
- Modern component-based web framework
- iOS
- Native app, built from scratch
- Android
- Native app, client team plus support
- Shared logic
- Cross-platform business logic for mobile
- Backend
- Client's existing backend
- AI
- Generative virtual caregiver, Julia
- Subscriptions
- Freemium, monthly and annual
- 01
Redesign the web platform first
The new web design became the foundation for visually and functionally consistent native iOS and Android apps.
- 02
Share business logic across mobile
Reusing logic across platforms accelerated development, reduced duplication and kept functionality consistent.
- 03
Integrate rather than replace
Integrating the new framework into the existing backend preserved the stability of legacy systems and minimised disruption.
- 04
Tie subscriptions to the village
Premium features belong to the shared space, so access is managed across members in line with the product's collaborative nature.
- 05
Follow platform guidelines strictly
UX improvements and monetisation were aligned with iOS and Android guidelines and store rules from discovery onwards.
Confirmed in the source
Native iOS and Android apps, a web platform rebuilt on a modern component-based framework, shared cross-platform business logic for mobile, the client's existing backend, a generative AI assistant, and freemium subscriptions. Specific frameworks, languages, AI provider and hosting are not published.
06 AI capabilities
Julia, a virtual caregiver that supports people as well as tasks.
Caregiving is emotionally demanding. Julia is a generative assistant that offers empathetic guidance, helps coordinate care tasks and makes recommendations based on user activity and platform data.
Proactive emotional support
Text conversations available 24/7 to help manage stress, with mindfulness exercises, so care feels less isolating.
Planned: Voice messages, media file analysis and advanced mood tracking.
Tailored care coordination
Helps coordinate care tasks within the village.
Planned: Task creation, calendar updates and file and image recognition.
Resource linking
Shares curated links to trusted caregiving resources inside conversations.
Planned: Dynamic resource recommendations that update from feedback.
Event-driven suggestions
Recommendations based on a specific village's data and events.
06 Key capabilities
Fifteen core features, available on every platform.
Secure registration and login
Protected account creation and access
Care village management
Private groups with family, friends and professionals
Communication tools
Built-in chats and notifications
Shared calendar
Visits, appointments and care planning
Wellness journaling
Well-being and notes as a feed
Personalised care plans
Individual plans with tasks and recommendations
Medication tracking
Reminders and logging
Task management
Assign and manage care to-dos
Document storage
Important files such as medical records
Members management
Invite, assign roles, manage participants
Caregiving checklists
Templates and custom routines
Flexible notifications
Alerts for groups and individuals
Profile and preferences
Personal info, settings, subscriptions
Cross-platform support
Full access on Android, iOS and web, with sync
Storage and usage limits
File and task limits by subscription tier
06 Design and monetisation
An outdated interface became an accessible, modern one.
The existing web UI no longer met modern standards or user expectations. The web platform was redesigned first, then used as the foundation for consistent native apps.
A new style guide kept recognisable brand elements, including the logo and core colours, while UX improvements streamlined flows and reduced friction in line with iOS and Android guidelines.
Accessibility
High colour contrast, scalable typography and clear layouts, so the platform works for people of all abilities and ages.
A freemium model that respects a shared space.
Essential features are free, with premium plans available monthly or annually and flexible upgrades and downgrades.
The constraint: subscriptions could not conflict with the product's collaborative nature. Premium features are tied to the shared village, so access is managed across multiple users rather than individually.
07 Results and impact
Caring Village relaunched on web, iOS and Android, with AI built in.
Delivery outcomes below are as published by SolveIt. Business performance after relaunch has not been published.
3
Platforms launched
Native iOS and Android apps and the web platform, with consistent UX.
15
Core features
Available across Android, iOS and web, with sync.
1.5mo
Discovery to roadmap
Research, strategy and technical deliverables in one phase.
Enhanced care with AI
AI features that provide emotional support and actionable insights.
Monetisation in place
Subscription logic that fits the shared village concept and platform rules.
Redesigned for accessibility
A revamped UI/UX focused on usability and inclusivity on every platform.
A unified experience
The same functionality and design language on web, iOS and Android.
Delivery
12 specialists delivering audit and consulting, AI, mobile, web and UX/UI redesign, including dedicated backend and mobile developers working with the client's team.
Timeline: about a year, per SolveIt's CEO.
Agency partner perspective
“Not about replacing people - but about lifting them up.”
08 Why it worked
Five decisions made a complex relaunch manageable.
- 01
Discovery before delivery
A 1.5-month discovery produced a prioritised roadmap, a free and premium split, and documented subscription logic before the build began.
- 02
Web design as the source of truth
Redesigning the web platform first gave iOS and Android a consistent foundation, with a style guide that kept the brand recognisable.
- 03
Stability over rewrites
Integrating a modern web framework into the existing backend, and sharing logic across mobile, preserved legacy systems and reduced duplication.
- 04
One team with the client
Dedicated backend and mobile developers worked alongside Caring Village's in-house specialists to speed up the release.
- 05
AI and monetisation designed for the village
Julia supports emotional and practical needs, and premium access follows the shared space rather than the individual.
Caring Village had users and a meaningful mission, but needed direction. Research, a design system built for accessibility, an architecture that respected existing systems and AI shaped around real caregiver needs gave the product a foundation for its next stage.
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The Caring Village platform relaunch was delivered by Digital Growth Labs as white-label delivery partner to SolveIt, where the project is also published. Project facts in this document come from SolveIt's published case study.