Virginia GrandDriver
Virginia GrandDriver is a Virginia state program helping older drivers access resources for safer driving, while supporting caregivers and professionals with tools to navigate difficult conversations. I led the redesign of this 13-page site, creating an accessible and intuitive experience that centered older adults without losing sight of the caregivers and professionals who support them. Before the project wrapped I also designed an Insights section with a full CMS blog, extending the site's reach and giving the program a platform to publish ongoing resources.
Project Overview
The Challenge
Older drivers don't just lose a car when they stop driving. They lose independence, routine, and a piece of their identity. The existing Virginia GrandDriver site had the right resources but failed to deliver them in a way that felt supportive rather than clinical. The user journey was scattered, with no clear pathways for three very different audiences.
Each group had distinct needs:
- Older drivers needed straightforward, reassuring resources that respected their autonomy
- Caregivers needed guided tools for navigating sensitive conversations with loved ones
- Professionals like doctors and law enforcement needed shareable resources they could find quickly
The redesign had to serve all three without losing any of them, while maintaining full ADA and 508 compliance throughout.
The Process
Discovery
I started by reviewing analytics, the client brief, and the existing site to identify pain points and content gaps. From there I developed personas for all three audience groups, older drivers, caregivers, and professionals, and mapped user journeys to understand where each group was getting lost. The biggest insight was that the framing of the content itself was part of the problem. Driving is tied to identity and independence, so the site couldn't just present resources. It had to reframe the conversation from "losing the ability to drive" to "staying safe for yourself and the people you love."
Design
With personas and user journeys defined, I moved into Figma building low-fidelity wireframes first to restructure navigation and simplify content pathways. These were refined into high-fidelity mockups with a focus on:
- Large, readable typography and clear navigation for older adults
- A font size toggle in the top navigation bar, giving users direct control over their reading experience
- ADA and 508 compliant design throughout every page
- Logical, distinct pathways for caregivers and professionals so each audience could find what they needed without wading through content meant for someone else
- Mobile-first design with larger touch targets for older adult users
Delivery
The site launched successfully across all 13 pages. Following launch, VGD returned with remaining budget to expand the site with an Insights section and a full CMS blog, a signal that the client trusted the work enough to build on it. I designed and delivered both before the project wrapped.
The Solution
The redesigned Virginia GrandDriver site gives each audience a clear, intuitive path from the moment they arrive. Older drivers are met with a experience that feels supportive rather than clinical, with straightforward resources framed around staying safe and preserving independence rather than giving it up. A font size toggle in the top navigation bar gives users direct control over their reading experience, a small but meaningful detail that puts older adults in the driver's seat of how they interact with the site.
Caregivers and professionals each have dedicated pathways with tools and resources designed specifically for their needs, removing the friction of navigating content meant for someone else.
The site launched fully ADA and 508 compliant, mobile responsive, and expanded shortly after with an Insights section and CMS blog that gives Virginia GrandDriver a platform to publish and share ongoing resources with their community.
The Outcome
Virginia GrandDriver launched as the largest website redesign PRR had tackled, and the work spoke for itself. The client returned with remaining budget to expand the site with an Insights section and CMS blog, a direct signal that the delivered product earned their trust.
The most meaningful part of this project wasn't the page count or the accessibility compliance. It was learning what it really means to design for people at a vulnerable moment in their lives. Driving isn't just transportation. It's freedom, routine, and identity. Keeping that truth at the center of every design decision shaped a site that doesn't just inform older drivers. It respects them.