Banksia Court · Episode 6
How to get older residents using a building app
Pearl has laminated every notice since 1998. Today she sends her first report.
Read the comic as text
Panel 1: Deb: "Just scan the sign, Pearl."
Panel 2: Pearl holds up her phone. BEEP! "Like this?"
Panel 3: Pearl, arms up: "Sent! My first report!"
Panel 4: The report: "Unit 12. Bins out on the wrong day. AGAIN. Pearl." Somewhere, Tyler: "Who reported me?!"
Why older residents do not join
It is rarely about age. It is about friction: an app store, an account, a password, small text and too many buttons. Every extra step loses a few people, and the ones you lose are often the residents who would use it most.
What makes it easy
- No app store. A QR code on the gate or in the letterbox that opens straight away in the phone's browser.
- No password. If people need to remember a login, many will not come back.
- Big text and one job per screen. "Report a problem" and "Read notices" are enough to start.
- Show them once, in person. Two minutes at the gate does more than a page of instructions.
- Keep a paper option for those who want it. A printed copy on the noticeboard still matters for the few who will never use a phone.
How Verge does it
Verge is a small app for townhouse complexes of 8 to 200 houses. Residents report problems with a photo, you send notices to the right people, tradies get one link with everything, and the monthly report builds itself. Residents do not need to install anything from an app store.
See the 2-minute demo