Overview

Beyond Horizons is an innovative digital funeral planning platform that provides a personalized, immersive, and accessible experience for individuals navigating the complex and emotionally challenging process of organizing a funeral.

As the team leader and lead researcher, I initially conceived this idea after recognizing the logistical difficulties and emotional burdens families face when planning end-of-life ceremonies. Seeing a gap in existing solutions, I led my team through research, ideation, and design to develop a platform that offers cultural sensitivity, flexibility, and ease of use, ensuring that every farewell is meaningful and respectful.

Throughout the project, we developed a comprehensive design system using Figma and Canva, defining typography, a calming color palette, and intuitive UI components. The wireframes and interactive prototypes were refined through iterative usability testing, leading to improved navigation, enhanced customization options, and a streamlined planning experience.

Design Process

To create an intuitive and human-centered experience, we structured our process around six key phases:

1️⃣ Define – Identifying core challenges and refining our problem statement.
2️⃣ Research – Conducting user interviews, expert consultations, and competitor analysis.
3️⃣ Analysis – Synthesizing insights into actionable personas and feature prioritization.
4️⃣ Design – Mapping user journeys and developing wireframes.
5️⃣ Prototype – Building interactive mockups and refining interactions.
6️⃣ Test & Launch – Conducting usability testing, iterating based on feedback, and preparing for implementation.

Define:

Planning a funeral is often emotionally overwhelming and logistically complex. Families must make quick decisions, balance cultural and religious traditions, and accommodate remote attendees, all while grieving. Existing funeral planning solutions lack personalization, accessibility, and digital integration, making it difficult for users to create a meaningful and inclusive farewell experience.

After extensive discussions and research, we finalized our problem statement:

Help people create a personalized digital funeral plan, tailored to their preferences, so that it provides a meaningful and immersive experience for both themselves and people they care about.

Beyond Horizons addresses this need by offering a customizable, digital-first solution that supports both physical and virtual ceremonies.

Research:

Understanding User Needs

To design a solution that genuinely addresses user needs, we conducted in-depth research through user interviews, expert consultations, and competitor analysis. This phase helped validate our assumptions, uncover pain points, and identify opportunities to enhance the funeral planning experience.

Key Research Findings

After 10+ interviews with individuals who have planned funerals and consultations with funeral professionals, we identified five critical insights:

🔹 Personalization is essential – Users want flexibility to honor traditions while making the ceremony feel personal.

🔹 Hybrid accessibility matters – Many families are geographically dispersed, making remote participation a key requirement.

🔹 Guidance is critical – Most users have no prior experience with funeral planning, requiring an intuitive step-by-step approach.

🔹 Cultural sensitivity is a must – Funeral practices vary significantly; the platform must adapt to different customs and beliefs.

🔹 Privacy is a major concern – Users need assurance that their data and digital memorials are secure.

Expert Validation

To ensure cultural sensitivity and practicality, we consulted industry experts. They emphasized the importance of flexible customization for different traditions, the need for a structured yet adaptable user experience, and the role of trust and security in user adoption. Their feedback helped refine the platform’s approach, ensuring it integrates guidance, personalization, and accessibility.

Analysis & Ideation:

User Persona

To ensure our design aligned with real-world needs, we developed Derek, a composite persona based on our research findings.

Derek, a 24-year-old graphic designer in Canada, had never planned a funeral before. After his grandfather passed away, he struggled to navigate the process while ensuring the ceremony honored family traditions and accommodated remote attendees. He needed a simple, structured planning tool that offered flexibility and cultural adaptability.

Priority Grid

Using the Crazy 8 brainstorming method, we rapidly generated and refined feature ideas, ultimately prioritizing those with the highest impact and feasibility. Key features selected included:

📌 VR gamification for an interactive experience.
📌 A PC game-style interface for an intuitive planning process.
📌 A free trial option to encourage adoption.
📌 A guided tour mode to onboard users.
📌 A senior-friendly UI with accessibility enhancements.
📌 Merchandise integration for personalized memorial keepsakes.

User Journey Mapping

Mapping the current (As-Is) journey revealed major pain points, including emotional distress, lack of customization, and complex logistics. We then designed an optimized (To-Be) journey, integrating guided AI assistance, customizable templates, immersive 3D memorial spaces, and smart budgeting tools to simplify planning and provide a more seamless experience.

Design & Deliver

Wireframing

Using Figma, we created low-fidelity wireframes to define the core structure and user flows before transitioning into high-fidelity designs.

Style Tiles

We then developed a cohesive design system using Canva, defining a calming color palette, elegant typography, and soft UI elements to create an inviting, emotionally sensitive experience. The final high-fidelity UI design refined interactions and improved clarity, resulting in a more polished and engaging platform.

Visual Design

With the foundation set, we moved to high-fidelity UI design, refining interactions and user flows for clarity and engagement.

Prototype

We built an interactive prototype in Figma, allowing users to experience key flows such as guided onboarding, customization of ceremony details, and interactive virtual memorials. Collaboration tools were also tested, ensuring families could coordinate planning seamlessly.

Through multiple rounds of usability testing, we improved the onboarding experience, refined navigation and UI labels, and enhanced customization options by introducing drag-and-drop features. These iterations resulted in a more user-friendly and intuitive platform.

Test

Usability Testing & Iterations

We conducted multiple rounds of usability testing, leading to:

📌 A clearer onboarding flow with tutorials.
📌 More intuitive navigation with improved UI labels.
📌 Enhanced customization options with drag-and-drop features.

Final Delivery & Reflection

The project successfully developed a prototype for a digital funeral planning tool that allows extensive personalization and user control. User testing showed strong acceptance, particularly among younger demographics, with many expressing interest in customizable settings, remote participation, and emotional support features. Some challenges emerged, including addressing cultural sensitivities, ensuring privacy and security, and bridging the technology gap for older generations.

This project not only allowed me to refine my UX research and leadership skills but also demonstrated the impact of empathetic design in addressing sensitive real-world challenges. While currently a prototype, Beyond Horizons serves as a scalable foundation for future development, with potential applications in AI-powered planning assistance, deeper VR integration, and industry partnerships to redefine digital funeral experiences.