A solution for independent baby boomers
An average lifespan can be divided into four phases: infancy and youth, active professional life, post-retirement years, and finally the years when someone becomes dependent on care.
Alterswohnheim Büttenberg recognised a trend that was on the horizon. People in the third phase of their life want to – and are able to – live at home longer before moving to a retirement home or assisted living. Looking through a future-proofing lens, the management knew it needed an overarching solution that did not yet exist. The team aimed to find a creative answer to the question: How can retired people be supported in enjoying an independent, active and healthy life, and what role could a retirement home like Alterswohnheim Büttenberg play in this process?
The board called upon Creaholic because of our fresh outside perspective and our future thinking, business modelling capabilities and digital solutions skillset.
A powerful gas phase
Creaholic’s approach to innovation follows the aggregate states of matter. The early stage of product development is the gas phase, when the molecules move freely and ideas can be thought up from scratch regardless of their feasibility. In the liquid phase, the ideas condense into a minimum viable product (MVP); and in the solid phase, we create the actual solution.
In this particular project, we generated over 70 ideas in the gas phase. There clearly was plenty that could be done to support people after retirement and develop a new business model.
Transformation sparked by the pandemic
Originally, the solution that had been chosen was an in-person hub; a stationary location where people aged 65+ could get advice, help and information and participate in organised events. Obviously, the pandemic made it impossible to follow through with this idea. The team was forced to pivot and go digital – an action that further future-proofed the idea.
Digitalising the solution required us to go back to the business model canvas. Our team conducted a deeper analysis of the users. Three main themes were defined: “Independent Living”, “Staying Healthy”, and “Enjoying Free Time”. These themes moulded the content of the Quartierplus platform, which was launched in November 2022.
Introducing Quartierplus
Quartierplus is the first digital, all-encompassing platform that simplifies the complexity of life after retirement by bundling sets of existing offers, services and content, and developing the services that are missing. Furthermore, access to the platform is simple and the content has a relevant context. To foster social connection and interaction, the platform presents its users with an online community.
In addition to running the ideation workshops, Creaholic was also involved in establishing the strategy, creating the business model, building the customer journey, designing the interface, testing the platform with users, and connecting with service providers and partners.
Quartierplus was successfully tested in the Biel/Bienne region of Switzerland and is now gradually expanding throughout Switzerland.
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