At Elayne, design begins with understanding what families are going through. During estate settlement, that often means dealing with meetings, paperwork, and phone calls right after a loved one’s passing.
For Emi Rohn, our founding design engineer, that awareness guides every project she leads.
She thinks about what a person might be feeling when they open the platform, what information they need first, and how each step can be made easier to follow. Every choice, from colors to instructions, is made to help families feel supported as they move through important items.
In this conversation, Emi talks about how she became interested in design, what brought her to Elayne, and how empathy shapes her work. She explains how thoughtful design can turn a complicated process into something more manageable, and in doing so, give people a sense of reassurance at a time when they need it most.
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How did you first become interested in design?
In high school, I noticed that many teens wanted to get involved in their communities, but most volunteer opportunities were geared toward adults. At the same time, nonprofit organizations were struggling to find volunteers.
To bridge that gap, I created Teens Volunteer, a site where organizations could post opportunities and teenagers could browse and sign up. Over time, our team grew to 20 high school students, and we helped connect thousands of teens with local nonprofits.
The website was really simple, but I loved the process of building it. I remember spending hours choosing button colors, arranging page layouts, and then checking Google Analytics to see where people clicked and what opportunities interested them the most.
It was my first time designing something for users and learning from their experience.
What stuck with me most was realizing that design could drive real impact.
The clearer and more intuitive I made the experience, the more volunteers signed up and the more organizations got the help they needed. That’s when I discovered how much I enjoyed creating things that people could interact with and benefit from.
Later on, at Dartmouth, I studied computer science because I wanted to understand how technology worked beneath the surface. I’ve always been drawn to design, but having that technical foundation helps me partner with engineers and bring creative ideas to life more effectively.
How about joining Elayne? Was there something specific that drew you to its mission?
When I started looking for design roles, I hadn’t seen anything quite like Elayne. Most technology focuses on speed or efficiency, but few tools are built with compassion at their core.
The more I spoke with the team and heard Adria’s story, the more I connected with the mission. There’s a real gap for families who are managing everything that comes after a loss. They deserve tools that are clear, comforting, and respectful of what they’re going through.
More than anything, I’d say that’s what really drew me in: the chance to help people who’ve lost a loved one, and to make what they’re experiencing even a little easier.
As the company’s founding design engineer, what does a typical day look like?
It’s always a bit different, but most of my time is spent shaping how the product feels and functions. Some days I focus on new features, sketching ideas in Figma and refining them with feedback from the team. Other days I work on the small details that bring everything together, like spacing, layout, and typography.
I also partner closely with Adria on product direction to make sure every update stays true to our mission. We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make complex steps feel clear, calm, and approachable for families.
Recently, I’ve also been spending more time speaking with our users. I reach out to families to learn about their experiences and help them get started with the platform. Those conversations can be very emotional, so I make a point of approaching each call with care and humility. Hearing these stories gives us a much deeper understanding of what families are going through, and puts us in a better position to help the people we serve.
At Elayne, a term that we use is “thoughtful design.” Could you explain what that means, and why it’s important?
For us, thoughtful design means knowing when the product should fade into the background and when it should gently come forward. I want Elayne to feel almost invisible in the sense that it’s easy to use. The steps should be clear, the layout should feel natural, and nothing should demand extra effort. When the experience is simple to navigate, it gives families more room to focus on healing and being there for each other.
But I also want the design to be visible at the right moments—to remind users that we care. That might mean displaying the name or photo of the loved one they’re honoring. Or offering a gentle message of support when a step is particularly difficult.
Thoughtful design is about helping someone complete important tasks, while also recognizing what they’re feeling during the process. It’s clarity and compassion, working together.
Could you also share how we think about visual design? For example, how do you approach creating the overall look and feel of Elayne?
We want Elayne to evoke a sense of calm. Color plays a role in that, but so do spacing, layout, copy, and visual hierarchy. Each element works together to make the experience feel organized, clear, and easy to follow.
Good design also means knowing when to say “no.” Every element has to earn its place, and we remove anything that doesn’t serve a clear purpose for families. We do this through generous white space, one clear action per screen, and thoughtful grouping of information.
When someone’s using Elayne, it’s often during one of the hardest moments in their life. That’s why every detail matters. No matter how small something might seem, our goal is to make the experience as empathetic, kind, and compassionate as possible.
Since joining Elayne, which project has been your favorite to work on?
I’d go with the Action Center; it’s the heart of our platform. This is where families complete the administrative steps that come after a loss, such as closing accounts or notifying agencies. Our goal was to take a process that’s complicated and time-consuming, and turn it into something that feels clear and manageable.
Designing it was a challenge because we needed one framework that could support many different scenarios. To achieve that, it took dozens of design iterations, and testing everything from one-page templates to step-by-step flows.
Seeing the Action Center’s impact for families has meant a lot to us. When someone is able to complete a step that used to feel overwhelming, it’s a reminder of how thoughtful design can help soften a difficult moment. Knowing that families choose to use Elayne during a time like this is extremely humbling, and something we never take for granted.
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In terms of design, what excites you most about where Elayne is headed?
Every week, I get to see the product evolve. The visuals are becoming more cohesive, the interactions feel smoother, and the overall experience is easier to navigate. Those improvements come directly from speaking with and learning from families, and it makes our progress feel especially meaningful.
Looking ahead, as our community grows, we’ll have more opportunities to understand how families complete steps and move through the platform. We’ll start to see broader patterns, and those insights will allow us to fine-tune the experience with even more care and precision.
So, if I had to pick, I think that’s what excites me the most: the chance to keep enhancing Elayne, serving more families, and supporting them every step of the way.
