GOOD DESIGN FOR AN OLDER POPULATION: THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF COGNITIVE AGEING
LAURA MALAN | MASTER OF DESIGN FOR SERVICES | UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE | August 2014 |
GOOD DESIGN FOR AN OLDER POPULATION: THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF COGNITIVE AGEING
We are living in a rapidly ageing population. This ageing population will have profound impacts on many aspects of human life. Services, products, and other design solutions, if designed well, can drastically improve our quality of life as we age – help improve our well-being, help us lead more independent lives or connect with loved ones more easily. But, key to good design, is having a real understanding of the people we are designing for, or with. Although there are numerous tools available to enable designers and researchers to empathise with physical and sensorial decline that occurs as we age, tools that take into account the cognitive changes that occur as we age have been lacking. Our cognitive capabilities determine much of how we interact with, and make sense of the world, and an understanding of the cognitive changes that occur with age, is hugely important for designers attempting to create meaningful products, services and experiences. This report and the research contained within, lays the foundation for a design tool to prompt a better understand cognitive ageing, and better design decisions.
LAURA MALAN | MASTER OF DESIGN FOR SERVICES | twitter: @l_a_malan |
| email: lauramalan@gmail.com | linkedin: za.linkedin.com/in/lauramalan |
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND
1.1.1 RESEARCH AIMS
1.2 PROCESS & METHODS 1.3 PROJECT INFLUENCERS
1.3.1 RAPIDLY AGEING POPULATION
1.3.2 DESIGNING EXPERIENCES
2. INSIGHTS 2.1 THE PROJECT CONTEXT
2.1.1 DESIGN FOR AN OLDER POPULATION
2.1.2 DESIGNING BETTER
2.1.3 GOOD DESIGN MAKES SENSE
2.2 DEFINING THE USER 2.2.1 A CLOSER LOOK AT WHO ‘DESIGNS’
2.2.2 UNDERSTANDING DESIGNERS
2.2.3 DESIGN ARCHETYPES
2.3 UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH
2.3.1 TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF AGEING
2.3.2 COGNITION, INTERACTION AND EXPERIENCE
2.4 FRAMING THE CONTENT
2.4.1 KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
2.4.2 EXISTING RESOURCES
3. DESIGN CONCEPTS 3.1 DESIGN PRINCIPLES 3.2 UNDERSTANDING, AGEING
3.2.1 PRINCIPLE AND PROMPT CARDS
3.2.2 COLLABORATIVE RESOURCE
3.2.3 ACCOMPANYING WORKSHOP
4. NEXT STEPS 4.1 PROJECT CONCLUSIONS 4.1.1 TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING
4.2 NEXT STEPS 4.1.2 FUTURE DIRECTIONS
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
6. APPENDICES
SUMMARY
GOOD DESIGN FOR AN OLDER POPULATION 5
1. INTRODUCTION
‘ ...Services and products, designed well, can help improve our well-being, help us lead more independent lives and connect with loved ones more easily. ‘
INTRODUCTION
THE PROJECT 7
1.1 P ROJECT BACKGROUND As we age, it is important that we maintain our independence and well-being despite changes in our capabilities. Services and products, designed well, can help improve our well-being, help us lead more independent lives and connect with loved ones more easily. This is particularly topical now with a global population that is living longer, and ageing rapidly. But key to designing well is understanding the people we are designing for.
Although there are numerous tools available to enable designers and researchers to empathise with physical and sensorial decline, tools that take into account the cognitive changes that occur as we age have been lacking.
It was important to ask the questions:
What presently exists are design guidelines giving advice to specific cognitive issues for example dementia, findings from psychological studies relating to different aspects of cognition and various online resources relating to ageing more generally.
•
This research project undertaken at the University of Dundee, aims to enable designers to have a better understanding of ageing, specifically the cognitive changes that occur as one ages, through the development of a design tool or resource. By enabling a better understanding of ageing, the project aims to enable the design of better products and services, that are useful and meaningful to an older population. This report documents the research that forms the first phase of that larger project.
1.1.1 RESEARCH AIMS: An important part of this first phase of the project was to clarify and reframe the brief to make sure we were asking the right questions, that the project was in line with the current design industry and would be relevant and useful to a design audience.
• • •
What are our goals? Who is our audience or user? What type of research on cognitive ageing would be relevant to a design audience? What type of resource do they need?
With these questions in mind, the following aims were developed for the first phase of the project:
1.1.1.1 PROJECT CONTEXT The first aim was to establish the project context. When trying to enable ‘good design’, what is ‘good design’? Why is design relevant to an older population? And what value does a more inclusive approach to designing bring? OBJECTIVES: •
Problem Definition – What is the issue and which wider factors influence the project?
•
Reframing the Brief – Identifying what designers and design researchers need to know about cognitive change and generationrelated experience in order to be able to make more informed design decisions.
•
Wider Context – Situate the project within the wider context it is part of.
8 THE PROJECT
INTRODUCTION
CHANGES IN INTELLIGENCE ?
CHANGES IN MEMORY ?
CHANGES IN COGNITIVE ABILITIES AS WE AGE ?
MENTAL MODELS
AGEING & CAPABILITIES
AGEING & DESIGN
TYPES OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES
COGNITIVE CHANGES AND INTERACTION WITH DESIGNS ?
INNOVATION IN AGEING
AGEING
COGNITIVE AGEING
TECH GENERATION EFFECT
FORMATIVE AGE
WHAT DO DESIGNERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AGEING ?
WHAT DO DESIGNERS KNOW ABOUT AGEING ?
RESEARCH AREAS
WHAT DESIGN WILL RESONATE WITH BABY BOOMERS ?
AGEING BABY BOOMERS
GENERATIONS
DESIGNERS
WHO ‘DESIGNS’ ?
WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT WOULD BE USEFUL TO DESIGNERS ?
MOST USEFUL TOOLS & RESOURCES ?
TOOLS & RESOURCES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ?
GOOD DESIGN
‘INCLUSIVE DESIGN’
TOOLS DO DESIGNERS TAKE OLDER PEOPLE INTO ACCOUNT ?
Fig. 1.1: Conceptual map showing the initial areas of research for this project.
WHAT IS ‘GOOD DESIGN’ ?
HOW DOES GOOD DESIGN HELP US AGE WELL ?
INTRODUCTION
1.1.1.2 DEFINING POTENTIAL USERS The second aim was to gain a deeper understanding of who the target ‘designer’ is and what their work process, goals and motivations are, in order to use this as a basis to develop an appropriate and useful final output.
THE PROJECT 9
and the strengths and weaknesses of those resources, is key to avoid developing a resource or tool that already exists. OBJECTIVES: •
Audit Existing Resources – Identifying and compare existing resources on designing for ageing.
•
Frame Content – Identify which way to frame the available research in order to maximise its relevance to a design audience.
•
Project Strategy – Develop a design strategy for the project and concepts to take forward.
OBJECTIVES: •
•
Who designs? – Clarify which ‘designers’ we are targeting. Which design discipline would this information be useful to? Academic or industry? Students or professionals? User Insights – Identify what designers and design researchers know about the cognitive changes that occur as one ages. Do they take older people into account when designing? Identify their goals, motivations and design process.
THE PROJECT CONTEXT
DEFINING POTENTIAL USERS
How does good design help us age well?
Do designers take older people into account when designing?
What design will resonate with Baby Boomers?
What do designers need to know about ageing?
1.1.1.3 UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH The third aim was to understand what research on ageing and cognitive ageing is available and highlight which aspects of it might be useful to a design audience. OBJECTIVES: •
•
Cognitive Ageing – Develop an understanding of what cognitive ageing is and what changes occur as we age. Cognitive Ageing and Design – Identify what aspects of cognitive ageing might be most relevant to a design audience. How is design and cognitive ageing related?
1.1.1.4 F RAMING THE CONTENT The final aim of the research was to find and document existing tools and resources for understanding ageing and cognition, specifically looking at resources that are of use to designers. Insight into what resources are currently available,
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH
FRAMING THE CONTENT
Changes in cognitive abilities as we age
What tools and resources are currently available?
Cognitive changes and interaction with designs?
What type of content would be useful to designers?
Fig. 1.2: K ey research questions, distilled from concept map exploration.
10 THE PROJECT
INTRODUCTION
‘ Factors such as better health care and better nutrition means the global population is ageing as well as living longer...’ (Pak and Kambil, 2007)
INTRODUCTION
1.2 PROCESS & METHODS The project process draws from service design, user experience, communication design and content strategy disciplines and used a variety of methods and tools from each of these. Including an extensive literature review, desk research and interviews with various design practitioners; along with various mapping, visualisation and prototyping techniques. Small focus groups were conducted towards the end of the project to gain feedback on design concepts.
1.3 P ROJECT INFLUENCERS Two key world trends influence the project direction and are important to note:
1.3.1 R APIDLY AGEING POPULATION Much has been said about the ‘ageing population crisis’ or the ‘time-bomb’. 40% of the population in the UK is currently over 65, and the number is said to triple in the next 40 years (Kahn, 2013) and these trends are reflected worldwide. Factors such as better health care and better nutrition means the global population is ageing as well as living longer (Pak and Kambil, 2007). In addition to that we also have the post-war population bulge, known as the Baby-Boomer generation, who are entering retirement (Pak and Kambil, 2007; Kahn, 2013). According to the United Nation (2002) these massive changes are: • •
‘Unprecedented – Without parallel in human history’, ‘Pervasive – A global phenomenon which will
THE PROJECT 11
affect every country although at different rates’, ‘Enduring – We will not return to the young populations of our past’, ‘Profound – And will impact and will affect us all with implications for many parts of human life in areas such as policy, health and housing’.
1.3.2 DESIGNING EXPERIENCES Another important trend to note is that design is moving away from being the purely aesthetic and product-driven practice that it was in the past, synonymous with manufactured goods, to being defined as a process which can be applied to shape a variety of products, services or experiences that we interact with in our day to day lives. According to Burns, et al. (2006) what characterises this new era for design is two things: where design is being used and who is doing the designing. Increasingly design is being used in the development of everything from products to innovative new technology and digital services, to new ventures and policies. In addition everyone from management consultants, to public sector officials and technologists are using the design process to help conceive, shape and test their ideas and projects. New tools and ways of working are also being introduced to help navigate complex problem spaces designers are increasingly designing the intangible – services and experiences. This shift in the design world is important to note when considering the development of a new tool or resource for ‘designers’.
12 THE PROJECT CONTEXT
INSIGHTS
INSIGHTS
THE PROJECT CONTEXT 13
2. INSIGHTS
14 THE PROJECT CONTEXT
‘ ...While not the only factor in successful ageing, quality products and services are important because of the enabling role they play in our day-to-day lives...’
INSIGHTS
INSIGHTS
THE PROJECT CONTEXT 15
2.1 THE PROJECT CONTEXT When trying to enable good design, what is good design? Why is design relevant to an older population? And what value does a more inclusive approach to designing bring? Desk research was conducted with the aim of answering these, and other questions, and situating the project in a broader context.
2.1.1 D ESIGN FOR AN OLDER POPULATION An older population (See Section 1.3.1) will have profound impacts on many aspects of human life in areas such as health, housing, policy and the economy. While it is crucial that we begin to adapt to these changes in population, there are no simple solutions, rather multiple solutions, changes and policies are needed (Kahn, 2013; Thackara, 2013). Thackara (2013) refers to what is needed as an ‘ecosystem’ of solutions. Kahn (2013) suggests that the systemic change needed involves innovation on various levels: from product and service innovation, to market innovation and finally political and cultural transformation (See Fig. 2.1). Innovative and more user-friendly products and services that meet the needs of an older population play a part in that systemic transformation because, designed well, they can drastically improve our quality of life. So much of the man-made world is designed: from the products in our homes, to the environments we live and work in, to crucial services and digital technology we use (Coleman, 2006; Design Council, 2008). Good design can play a role in encouraging lifestyle changes that improve our well-being, can help us to connect to local networks or support services
and remain in touch with loved ones more easily (Design Council, 2001; Lim, 2009). While not the only factor in successful ageing, quality products and services are important because of the enabling role they play in our day-to-day lives: ‘Products and services only gain meaning according to the relations they make possible [...] a smart phone is meaningful because it allows people to stay in touch’ (Reframing Studio, 2013). Coleman (2006) stresses that because so much of the world we live and age in is designed, our quality of later life is dependant on whether or not all this design is created with ‘an awareness of the needs and aspirations of older [...] people’.
2.1.2 DESIGNING BETTER 2.1.2.1 WHAT IS ‘GOOD DESIGN’? In an attempt to enable ‘good design’ for an older population, it is important to define ‘good design’. Good design is said to be design that is ‘innovative’, ‘makes a product understandable’ as well as being ‘aesthetically pleasing’, ‘unobtrusive’, ‘honest’, ‘long-lasting’ and ‘thorough in details’ (Rams, 2003 cited in Design Museum, 2007). Good design is also said to be design that works ‘aesthetically, functionally and commercially’ whilst ‘improving peoples’ lives and making the smallest possible impact on the planet’ (Design Council, 2008).
16 THE PROJECT CONTEXT
INSIGHTS
‘ ...Many of the fundamentals of good design are synonymous with the principles of Inclusive Design.’
INSIGHTS
THE PROJECT CONTEXT 17
The Design Council (2008) also specifies that good design: •
Is sustainable – Improves lives whilst having minimal impact on the environment
•
Is a process – Of defining problems and creating solutions. It does not only refer to an end product.
•
Links creativity and innovation – Uses creativity and ideas and links them to innovation and markets to turn them into benefits for users.
•
Delivers value – Creates economic, social and/or environmental value
Another definition of ‘good design’, that speaks more of the process involved, associates good design with good decision making:
a process of informed decision-making, through an understanding of real needs, resulting in solutions that add value to the lives of an older population.
2.1.2.2 TOWARDS DESIGN THAT IS INCLUSIVE Part of that process of making informed design decisions is having an understanding of who you are designing for, or with: ‘A great product or service is typically built on a foundation of understanding the real needs of the user and other stakeholders.’ (Pullin, 2009 cited in John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013, p.11). Building a better understanding of a wider range of users and making rational design decisions based on this understanding is also said to be the process of designing inclusively (Coleman, 2006).
‘Good Design is about making conscious and well-informed decisions throughout the design process’ (Pullin, 2009 cited in John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013, p.11).
Many of the fundamentals of good design are synonymous with the principles of Inclusive Design. Pullin quoted in Coleman (2013) states that ‘good design and Inclusive Design should be seen as inseparable and essential’.
Taking these different definitions into account, in the context of this project, when aiming to enable ‘good design for an older population’ reference is made to
Inclusive Design, often thought of as a specific design discipline, is actually less of a discipline and more a way of approaching projects.
SYSTEMIC CHANGE REQUIRES SHIFTS ACROSS FOUR KEY AREAS:
PRODUCT & SERVICE INNOVATION
MARKET INNOVATION
POLITICAL INNOVATION
CULTURAL INNOVATION
‘New technologies, products and services to meet demand in new ways across public and private markets’
‘New business models, organisational forms and recalibrated markets to enable new solutions to be developed’
‘Political leadership combined with new policies, regulations and infrastructure to create the conditions for systemic change’
‘New social norms and behavioural change to drive new demands and to create a social movement for change.’
Fig. 2.1: Four areas of change needed to adapt to an ageing population. Adapted from Five Hours a Day: Systemic Innovation for an Ageing Population (Kahn, 2013, p.46).
‘ ...Designing inclusively is about being more aware of the range of people that use your product, service or design.’ (Coleman, 2006)
INSIGHTS
THE PROJECT CONTEXT 19
Largest market share
CHILDREN & YOUTH
YOUNG ADULTS
ADULTS
OLDER ADULTS
SENIORS
0-18 years
18-25 years
25-45 years
45-60 years
60-80+ years
0
20
40
60
80
Designers often focus on this narrow audience
Inclusive design is focused here
Fig. 2.2: Inclusive Design focus versus Designers Focus. Adapted from the Inclusive Design Toolkit, 2011.
The British Institute of Standards (2006) defines Inclusive Design as the design of products and services that are ‘accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible [...] without the need for specialised design’. Coleman (2006) writes that when designing we make decisions that will either ‘exclude or include specific groups of users’ and that ‘a quality design process would be aware of those decisions’. Designing inclusively is about being more aware of the range of people that use your product, service or design (Coleman, 2006) and of the various needs and levels of capability they might have. Our capability needs might be different due to disability, age, gender or background and designing for this diversity should be seen the norm, rather than an exception (Coleman, 2006).
2.1.3 G OOD DESIGN MAKES SENSE Making informed decisions through a better understanding means the products or services you are designing, are more likely to meet peoples’ needs. Products and services can range from life enhancing, to really frustrating. It is said that one can be ‘disabled or enabled’ by design (Coleman, 2006, p.6). Good design decisions and an understanding of who will interact with, or use, designs is essential for creating designs that enable. However, designing inclusively is not just about accommodating those who are often excluded: Considering a broader range of people who
20 THE PROJECT CONTEXT
INSIGHTS
‘ ...Simple design improvements such as good way-finding, utensils that have better grip and interfaces that are easy to navigate, generally benefit us all.’
INSIGHTS
might use designs, such as those who are older or disabled, often leads to improved usability for people of all capability levels. Simple design improvements such as good way-finding, utensils that have better grip and interfaces that are easy to navigate, generally benefit us all. ‘The best examples of inclusive design don’t shout “Inclusive”, they just happen to embrace a really wide range of users’ (Design Council, 2014). Thinking about the wider range of people who might interact with designs, and their needs, can also lead to ingenuity in design solutions; or to the creation of entirely new types of products and services (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013). From a business and innovation point of view, incorporating the needs of markets such as the older population, can be a way to reach new markets or increase brand loyalty (Coleman, 2006; Pak and Kambil, 2007; Design Council, 2014). Pak and Kambil (2007) anticipate that the growing economic force of the older market will impact many industries in ways we have not seen up till now. However, despite the huge potential to tap into this growing market, there is still the perception that older adults are frugal with their money or lack disposable income (Kahn, 2013, p.52) and thus many brands, products and services are still aimed at the youth markets (Pak and Kambil, 2007; Kahn, 2013).
THE PROJECT CONTEXT 21
22 22THE DEFINING PROJECT THE CONTEXT USER
INSIGHTS
‘ ...People such as business entrepreneurs, public services professionals and managers are often ‘designing’ or are involved in the design decision-making process.’
INSIGHTS
DEFINING THE USER 23
2.2 D EFINING POTENTIAL USERS Taking into consideration the evolving landscape of design (See Section 1.3.2) it was important to determine which ‘designers’ this tool or resource aims to reach. Interviews with various design practitioners as well as desk research was conducted in order to clarify who the user of the resource might be, what type of information on ageing might be useful to them, and how they might use the tool or resource.
2.2.1 A CLOSER LOOK AT WHO ‘DESIGNS’
widely, what is required is ‘Inclusive Design champions at all levels of the organisation including board members, decision makers, design managers, and marketeers’ (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013, p.7).
It is said that many people, who might not consider themselves to be designers, are in fact designing everyday (Kimbell and Julier, 2012). Kimbell and Julier (2012, p.5) write that they are designing in that they are ‘involved in creating new ways of doing things in the organisations they work in’. This understanding of design means that people such as business entrepreneurs, public services professionals and managers are often ‘designing’ or are involved in the design decisionmaking process. John Clarkson and Coleman (2013) suggest that in order to embed inclusive design principles more
This wider view of who a ‘designer’ is, as well as who is making design decisions, prompts one to consider: Who designs for older people? That is, who is shaping or creating new products, services or ‘ways of doing things’ (Kimbell and Julier, 2012, p.5) that contribute to ones quality of life as we age? Making the resource or tool work for this wider sample of ‘designers’ means it has far wider reach and the potential for more impact. A conceptual map was created to further explore the various design-related fields which might benefit from this type of design resource, as well as the relationships between them (See Fig. 2.3).
BRANDING & MARKETING
INTERACTION DESIGN
BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
VISUAL DESIGN USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
SERVICE DESIGN
SOCIAL INNOVATION
PRODUCT DESIGN BUILT ENVIRONMENT DESIGN
DESIGN RESEARCH
SOCIAL DESIGN
PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGN
PUBLIC SECTOR
POLICY & GOV LABS
3RD SECTOR & NON PROFIT ORGS
Fig. 2.3: C onceptual map showing various design-related fields. Map shows relationships between disciplines (closeness together), as well key disciplines proposed for focus in this project (size).
24 DEFINING THE USER
INSIGHTS
‘ ....What do designers already know about ageing and cognitive ageing? What type of information on ageing and cognitive ageing might be relevant and useful to designers? Do they take older users into account in their projects...?’
INSIGHTS
2.2.2 UNDERSTANDING DESIGNERS Based on this broader understanding of who designs; the next important step was to clarify the following about designers: •
DEFINING THE USER 25
ageing. While there were many who actively incorporated the needs of older people into their projects, the majority did not. Mapping these variations provided a better idea of who the required tool or resource should target (See Appendix 6.1).
What is their design or project process? Do they have time for ethnographic research? Do they work in teams or individually? In the public sector or industry?
2.2.3 DESIGN ARCHETYPES
•
What do designers already know about ageing and cognitive ageing? What type of information on ageing and cognitive ageing might be relevant and useful to them?
The insights from interviews with design practitioners and those is design-related fields also brought to light that there were certain overlapping characteristics between these potential users.
•
What goals and motivations do these designers have? Do they take older users into account in their projects? What would motivate them to take older users into account?
•
What would a useful resource on ageing include? Would it be visual? Would it include guidelines? Examples? Would it be most important that it is free? Or user-friendly?
To explore this further, the various designers goals and behaviours that emerged from the interviews, along with the prior desk research (see Section 2.2.1), were synthesized to create three archetypes. The archetypes aim to make this part of the research memorable and help guide the development of the resource or tool.
These questions were posed to a sample of twelve people from various design and design-related backgrounds: • • • • • • • • • •
Brand Manager x1 Design Researcher/Ethnographer x1 Graphic Designer x1 Industrial Designer x2 Environments/Interior Architect x1 Public Service Innovation Professional x1 Service Designer x2 Social Start-Up Director x1 User Experience Designer x1 Web & User-Interface Designer x1
The answers revealed the varying levels of adoption of inclusive design into their work, as well the different levels of knowledge about
The three archetypes created are: •
Design-Maker The ‘Design-Maker’ archetype represents the group of potential users who generally work in the design field – academia or industry.
•
Change-Maker The ‘Change-Maker’ archetype represents the group of potential users who generally work in the people-centred or emerging design and innovation sectors.
•
Decision-Maker The ‘Decision-Maker’ archetype represents the group of potential users who generally work in the business, public sector or government related fields.
26 DEFINING THE USER
INSIGHTS
BUILT ENVIRONMENT DESIGN
PRODUCT DESIGN
INTERACTION DESIGN USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
DESIGN RESEARCH
VISUAL DESIGN
‘DESIGNMAKERS’
SERVICE DESIGN
BRANDING & MARKETING
SOCIAL DESIGN
‘CHANGEMAKERS’
‘DECISIONMAKERS’
BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SOCIAL INNOVATION POLICY & GOV LABS
PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGN
3RD SECTOR & NON PROFIT ORGS
PUBLIC SECTOR
THINK TANKS
Fig. 2.4: C onceptual map showing various design-related fields grouped as archetypes to reveal common goals and motivations.
INSIGHTS
Fig. 2.5: User archetypes (for detail see Appendix 6.2).
DEFINING THE USER 27
28 UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH
INSIGHTS
INSIGHTS
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH 29
2.3 U NDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH In order to create a resource or tool that successfully makes the research on cognitive ageing more accessible, an understanding of what cognitive ageing is, and why it is important is needed. The following represents some of the finding and insights gained from the research into ageing, and cognitive ageing, and highlights areas that might be of interest to designers.
2.3.1 T OWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF AGEING One of the keys to inclusive, good, design is understanding, and having empathy for who one is designing for (See Section 2.1). ‘Designers really have to empathise with people. Understand their needs, their wants, their beliefs’ (Design Council, 2014). When designing for older people, even when aiming to take older people into account, many designers are often unaware of what ageing really is like (Persad, Langdon and John Clarkson, 2007). Often ‘older’ does not relate to us, and even with the best intentions, designers tend to design for themselves, generally a 25-35 year old age group (Inclusive Design Toolkit, 2011) (See Fig. 2.2). Even if older people are taken into account when designing, all older people are often lumped into one group (Transgenerational Design, 2014), when in reality ageing is a highly individualised process (Czaja and Lee, 2006) and what ‘old’ is, is different for everyone.
2.3.1.1 AGE AND ABILITY: ‘The commonly understood meaning of age, ageing, or becoming old, is showing the effects or characteristics of increasing age. But biological age does not correlate with chronological age. In fact, there is no reliable measurement for determining our biological age.’ (Transgenerational Design, 2014)
Ageing is a complex, individual process, which progresses at different rates for everyone (Czaja and Lee, 2006, p.344) and while there are certain stages one goes through, biological age is not related to your chronological age (Transgenerational Design, 2014). Thus just because two people are both the same age, does not imply that they have the same levels of capability or the same needs. The way we age also depends on other factors such as our educational, social, economic and cultural backgrounds (Kahn, 2013). In fact it is said: ‘Our socio–economic status is a stronger determinant of how we age than chronology’ (Kahn, 2013, p.13). Older people, in fact all of us, have ‘ranges of skills, experiences and capabilities’ (Kahn, 2013). Despite decline throughout ones life in physical, sensory and cognitive capability, we still retain certain abilities that allow us to continue to contribute in meaningful ways to community, family and business life (Kahn, 2013). While we might struggle to do certain things as we get older – we normally maintain most of our experience, knowledge and insight until at least our latest years (Czaja and Lee, 2006). Making designers aware of the difficulties older people might have with certain designs is important in order to encourage empathetic design solutions, however, it is also important to not create the impression of older people being incapable. More widely, people of all ages generally want the same things ‘we want to have a purpose, to have a sense of well–being and to feel at home and connected to others’ (Kahn, 2013).
30 UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH
INSIGHTS
‘ ....Ageing is a complex, individual process, which progresses at different rates for everyone; while there are certain stages one goes through, biological age is not related to your chronological age.’ (Czaja and Lee, 2006, p.344)
INSIGHTS
These ‘wants’; feeling connected to loved ones and having a sense of purpose and well-being, should inspire and guide the development of all sorts of innovative products and services for older adults that enhance their quality of life and go beyond being assistive. Older people want ‘products and services that aren’t branded ‘ageing’ but meet their needs at their age’ (Kahn, 2013).
2.3.1.2 GENERATION GAPS The current oldest group of people are from ‘The Greatest Generation’, with the generation after them known as the ‘Baby Boomers’ (Taylor and Keeter, 2010). These, and other generations, each have specific values, attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles (Taylor and Keeter, 2010). During periods of rapid social change, generations tend to identify more strongly with those in their cohort (Pilcher, 1994). Although it is not a specific science, understanding generational differences does offer us ‘clues into the values and opinions of a specific group of similarly aged people’ (Taylor, Keeter, 2010) that can enable us, if we are not from the same generation, to understand each other better. This is particularly topical now as the next generation enters retirement – the Baby Boomer generation – who bring with them ’a different set of generational characteristics’ (Bedell and Young, 2009). ‘The ‘who’ in ageing is changing which has implications to how we understand ageing’ (Kahn, 2013). An understanding of these major generational changes can add a layer of understanding to the ‘who’ we are designing for. ‘Ageing Baby Boomers will seek out designs that accommodate rather than discriminate, sympathise rather than stigmatize, and appeal to users of all ages and abilities.’ (Transgenerational Design, 2014) Bedell and Young (2009) suggest that one of the characteristics of the Baby Boomer generation is that they were, and are likely to remain, a generation that challenges the status quo, and this will reflect in their demand for innovative products and services that meet their needs.
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH 31
Knowledge about the Baby Boomers’ preferences could give insights into what types of services might create a sense of nostalgia, delight or added-value to the group. Pak and Kambil (2007) echo this thought suggesting that one way of tapping into the needs and wants of the Baby Boomer involves ‘reconnecting them to their experiences as young people from music to shared events that shaped their generation’.
2.3.1.3 FORMATIVE YEARS Interestingly, there are also different ‘technology generations’ (Lim, 2009, p.192). People who used certain technology products during their formative period, form part of a similar technology generation and have similar usage and behaviour in later years, this is known as the ‘technology generation effect’ (Lim, 2009). Generally your formative age is between the age of 10-25 years, this is when you acquire your values, norms, attitudes, behaviour and skills; that then influence your future behaviours (Becker, 2000 cited in Lim, 2009). This formative period also influences future usage of technology products (Becker, 2000 cited in Lim, 2009). Understanding the formative age and technology generation of a user group can be valuable to designers, giving insight into what life was like at the time for a user and what type of products might work best for them now (Carroll et al. 1988 cited in Lim, 2009). Andrews (2012) suggests that by making sure designs are in keeping with the design styles from the formative age of those who will use them, they will be much more intuitive to use: ‘It’s not the same as retro design...what it means is using classical designs...that look like those people would remember [from their formative age]. It makes it easier for people to do things.’ (Andrews, 2012). These simple design changes can make products or environments easier to use as one ages, specifically for people with severe cognitive decline, and make it that much easier for people to maintain independent lives.
32 UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH
INSIGHTS
‘ ....People of all ages generally want the same things ‘we want to have a purpose, to have a sense of well–being and to feel at home and connected to others’ .’(Kahn, 2013)
INSIGHTS
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH 33
Understanding formative age could also be useful not only for the design of products, technology, and environments, but also services. Increasingly services, from banking, to public services, exist in a digital space. Being aware of how an older population might interact with the technology touchpoints used in these services, could promote more appropriate solutions.
2.3.2 C OGNITION, INTERACTION AND EXPERIENCE Although well designed technology, products and services have the potential to improve many aspects of day-to-day life for us as we age; if the physical, sensory or cognitive demands placed on us are too high, or if designs are too complex, products will often not be used (Lim, 2009). According to Coleman (2006) a person’s overall capability is a combination of their sensory, motion and cognitive capabilities (See Fig. 2.6). These interplaying capability types vary from person to person, however there are trends: in capability loss as one ages, between gender groups and in different populations (Coleman, 2006). Capturing and visualising research on user capabilities could prompt designers to think more about the demands their product or service places on a user.
When look at capability levels in actual fact we all fall on a spectrum of capability levels, from mild to profound; from not remembering what you need to do tomorrow, through to severe dementia (Ellieson, 2011). Understanding these aspects of ageing is important for good design. Pak and Kambil (2007) suggest that changes in cognitive capability that occur as we age (such as memory and information processing) have an affect on the way older users interact with products and services. These cognitive changes influence many aspects of how we interact with services, brands and products including how we search for information, our underlying attitude formation and brand awareness; as well as the way we compare alternatives, our behaviour at point-of-purchase and even our postpurchase satisfaction (Pak and Kambil, 2007).
2.3.2.1 C OGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING Looking for closely at cognition: cognition is related to how we think, understand, experience and interact (Centre for Cognitive Ageing, 2013), which informs how we relate and make sense of the world and has huge implication for designers who are trying to create services, experiences and products that are usable and meaningful. Memory, intelligence and how we process information are key influences on how we interact with designs and might be of most relevance to designers.
OUR CAPABILITY LEVELS ARE BASED ON:
SENSORY
MOTION
COGNITIVE
VISION
LOCOMOTION
COMMUNICATION
HEARING
STRETCH & REACH
INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING
DEXTERITY
Fig. 2.6: Capability: A combination of our sensory, motion and cognitive levels (Inclusive Design Toolkit, 2011).
34 UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH
INSIGHTS
‘ ....While some of these types of cognitive processes decline with age, others, for examples some types of intelligence, increase with age .’ (Czaja and Lee, 2006)
INSIGHTS
INTELLIGENCE: While our fluid intelligence, which is based on our ability to produce solutions that are not based on previous experience, decreases with age (Czaja and Lee, 2006), intelligence that has to do with your reasoning and judgement, and your ability to make decisions based on this, increases with age (Czaja and Lee, 2006). This crystallized intelligence generally increases or remains stable until at our latest stages of ageing (Centre for Cognitive Ageing, 2013; Czaja and Lee, 2006). Our ability to settle disputes, make judgements or make decisions related to moral issues, people or politics are all related to this intelligence that improves with age and is based on our experiences: determined by our personality, education by the opportunities presented to us, by our motivation and cultural influences (Centre for Cognitive Ageing, 2013; Czaja and Lee, 2006). MEMORY: Memory on the other hand generally does decline with age, but the rate is dependant on the individuals‘ set of circumstances (Czaja and Lee, 2006). Our procedural memory, or our memory of how to execute certain tasks declines as we get old (Czaja and Lee, 2006). However, although we might struggle with tasks that are new to us, tasks that we have done regularly before and have become second nature to us, we are not likely to forget (Centre for Cognitive Ageing, 2013). Knowledge of this could prompt designers to design in a way in which tasks are automatic. One example of this could be if websites were designed in a consistent manner so that navigating them becomes more a more automatic process. Semantic memory, or the ability to remember factual information or general knowledge, only decreases minimally as we age (Lim, 2009), and it is actually the addition of a decline in processing speed that makes it harder for us to recall information (Czaja and Lee, 2006). When some older people are often thought of as forgetful, it is
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH 35
sometimes just because information is harder to retrieve. Mindfulness of this decline in processing speed is important to many types of designers, particularly for the design of technology or digital interfaces and services. Including sufficient time to process and take action goes a long way to making things more ageing-friendly. Another type of memory that is important for designers to note is prospective memory, of the ‘ability to remember to do something in the future’ (Czaja and Lee, 2006). Prospective memory is of two types: ‘timebased’ and ‘event-based’ (Centre for Cognitive Ageing, 2013). Time-based memory, related to remembering to do something at a specific time (e.g. take the food out of the oven at 16:00), declines more noticably than event-based memory (e.g. take food out of oven after the movie). This information could prompt design solutions that make use of event-based memory over time-based memory. Another key cognitive process that is important for designers to note is that with age we often become more easily distracted. ‘An information processing challenge faced by age 50+ consumers is a noticeable decline in the ability to ignore “noise,” or irrelevant stimuli, whether it is visual, aural, tactile, or language-related’ (Pak and Kambil, 2007). Designing out ‘noise’ in websites, advertising or environments can help older users to interct and engage with design more easily.
36 FRAMING THE CONTENT
INSIGHTS
‘ What is needed now is transferral of that knowledge on designing inclusively: from researchers to ‘knowledge workers’...’ (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013)
INSIGHTS
FRAMING THE CONTENT 37
2.4 F RAMING THE CONTENT With an understanding on how cognitive ageing influences design, the next important step was to decide in which way to frame the available research in order to maximise its relevance to a design audience. Should the tool or resource incorporate the research into generational characteristics and technology generations? Should the tool focus exclusively on cognitive ageing, or frame the content more widely and with a broader look at designing for older users? Interviews with various design practitioners and an audit of existing tools and resources were conducted (See Appendix 6.1 and 6.3 for full details) to gain insight into what the requirements for a new resource or tool are, what type of content might be useful, and in what format it should be.
2.2.1 KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER In much of the literature on inclusive design the authors urged the need for knowledge transfer (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013). A substantial base of primary research into inclusive design principles has developed over the years, however, what is needed now is transferral of that knowledge from researchers to ‘knowledge workers’ (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013). These ‘knowledge workers’ – industry, organisations, designers, design students – are key to embedding inclusive principles more widely (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013). Research reveals that many of these knowledge workers, and designers specifically, often have very little understanding of the capability changes that occur as one ages and how to design to address these needs (Czaja and Lee, 2006).
2.2.1.1 MAKING DATA ACCESSIBLE Part of this knowledge transfer involves presenting inclusive principles, to these various knowledge-worker audiences, in ways that are relevant and useful to them.
For a design audience there is a call for more visual ways of explaining data about capabilities (Persad, Patrick Langdon, Brown and John Clarkson, 2007). Existing tools such as ‘guidelines and usability tools are often too information heavy or not expressed in ways that engage designers’ (Coleman, 2013). Understanding levels of user capabilities is useful in order to try and match product or service demands to user groups’ capabilities. However, although designers require quantitative data on capability loss, this too is data that they require presented in accessible and visual formats (Persad, Langdon and John Clarkson, 2007).
It is also suggested that for designers to successfully create inclusive solutions, they need to develop real empathy with their user groups (Newell, Gregor, Morgan, Pullin and Macaulay, 2011). What is needed is data representation specifically for designers that appeals to their ‘people-centred nature’ and ‘fascination with extreme users’ (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013). ‘The concept of Inclusive Design coupled with story telling and scenario building techniques can turn what is often considered as a branch of design
38 FRAMING THE CONTENT
INSIGHTS
‘ We need to go from data and information, to knowledge and understanding by adding context...’ (Ballie, 2012)
INSIGHTS
for disability into an exciting gateway to product innovation and a more user-friendly future for us all’ (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013) Considering these very different ‘extreme users’ when designing encourages a varied understanding of who you are designing for. For the resource outcome of this project, appealing to designers’ interest in a broad spectrum of users, could be one way to make research engaging and useful. What are the two extremes of ageing and levels of capability that might engage designers? Storytelling and scenario building techniques were also mentioned as ways of making inclusive design concepts more appealing (John Clarkson and Coleman, 2013).
2.2.2 C OMPARISON OF EXISTING RESOURCES An important part of this project was the ‘content analysis’, a thorough investigation in to the existing resources and guideline related to ageing and design for older adults.
FRAMING THE CONTENT 39
2.2.2.1 ONLINE RESOURCES There are a variety of resources available regarding understanding ageing: websites, tool kits and guidelines. Most notably the Inclusive Design Toolkit, designforpeople.org, Design For All each with their own content and aims. Other content such as research reports and guidelines are often hard to find and data heavy (Fig. 2.8). In addition very little content is related to the understanding of the cognitive dimension of ageing. In order to determine what type of resource was needed, an audit of existing resources was taken. This was done by comparing a sample of ten prominent resources that aim to provide information on better design for older adults. The ten online resources were compared by twelve professionals from various design-related backgrounds (See Fig. 2.8 and for more detail Appendix 6.3). The reviewers were given mark sheets with categories relating to specific usability and content audit criteria such as the resource or tool’s visual appeal, relevance and usefulness. This gave insight into both what would work from a visual and practical point of view, but also insight into what content would be useful.
Fig. 2.7: Online resource examples Clockwise from top left: Engineering Design Centre , Cambridge Engineering Design Centre Cards, Inclusive Design Toolkit, designingwithpeople.org.
40 FRAMING THE CONTENT
INSIGHTS
‘ There is a wealth of knowledge on good design for older people; what is needed is new ways to navigate that information already in the public domain...’
INSIGHTS
FRAMING THE CONTENT 41
ADAPTABILITY
USEFUL FORMATS
USABILITY
%
CONTENT
RESOURCE USABILITY
CONTENT USABILITY
UP-TO-DATE
INCLUDES COGNITION
COMPREHENSIVE
RELEVANCE
MEMORABILITY
ENGAGEMENT
MULTI-MODAL
LOOK & FEEL
VISUAL
AVAILABLE ONLINE RESOURCES
INCLUSIVE DESIGN TOOLKIT
6
8
7
6
7
7
8
7
7
7
8
5
69.0
INCLUSIVE DESIGN CARDS
6
3
7
6
6
5
5
5
8
8
5
5
57.5
EURO DESIGN FOR ALL NETWORK
5
6
6
5
7
5
5
3
6
6
7
6
55.8
CURE ELDERLY PERSONAS
6
5
5
7
6
6
6
8
7
7
8
6
64.1
TRANSGENERATIONAL DESIGN
7
6
7
6
7
7
7
8
8
7
5
6
67.5
DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE
7
6
7
7
7
8
7
7
7
7
8
8
71.6
DESIGNING OUR TOMORROW
3
5
5
4
5
5
2
4
5
5
4
5
43.3
ENABLED BY DESIGN
7
7
7
6
6
5
4
6
5
7
5
8
60.8
THE WORLD OF NESTOR
8
8
8
9
7
5
6
7
8
8
8
5
72.5
IF ONLY IT WORKED
7
8
8
8
6
6
5
7
7
6
5
7
66.7
Fig. 2.8: Comparison of key resources on design for ageing (See Appendix 6.3 for more detail)
42 PRINCIPLE & PROMPT CARDS
DESIGN CONCEPTS
DESIGN CONCEPTS
PRINCIPLE AND PROMPT CARDS 43
3. DESIGN CONCEPTS
44 DESIGN PRINCIPLES
DESIGN CONCEPTS
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
1
MAKE IT VISUAL BRING EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND DATA TO LIFE BY MAKING IT VISUAL – APPEALING TO DESIGNERS’ VISUAL NATURE.
2
MAKE IT DIVERSE SELECT VISUALS, PRINCIPLES OR STORIES THAT PROMOTE A DIVERSE UNDERSTANDING OF AGEING – AND THE VARYING NEEDS AND CAPABILITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE AGEING PROCESS.
3
MAKE IT PERSONAL & RELATABLE USE VISUALS, LANGUAGE AND EXAMPLES THAT FOSTER EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT AGEING – APPEAL TO DESIGNERS’ PEOPLE-FOCUSED SENSIBILITY.
4
MAKE IT USEFUL BEYOND DESIGN MAKE IT USEFUL AND RELEVANT TO ‘DESIGNERS’ IN THE BROADEST SENSE – CHECK THAT EXAMPLES PROMPT IDEAS FOR MULTIPLE PROJECT TYPES.
5
STORIES THAT LEAD TO ACTION EXPOSE STORIES THAT INSPIRE AND LEAD TO ACTION – WRITE PROMPTS THAT ARE USEFUL AND IMMEDIATELY APPLICABLE TO PROJECTS.
6
MORE QUESTIONS, NOT ONLY ANSWERS DESIGN AN ENTRY POINT INTO INFORMATION – THAT PROMPTS DISCUSSION, INSPIRATION AND FURTHER RESEARCH.
7
NEW WAYS TO NAVIGATE INFORMATION BUILD ON EXISTING KNOWLEDGE – DESIGN NEW WAYS TO FIND AND USE EXISTING INFORMATION.
8
CHANGE ATTITUDES HELP DESIGNERS THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WHO ‘THE ELDERLY’ ARE – WE’RE DESIGNING FOR ‘OUR FUTURE SELVES’ (Laslett, 1989 cited in Coleman, 2006, p.3).
Fig. 3.1: Eight design principles, developed from research, to guide content selection and design decisions.
DESIGN CONCEPTS
DESIGN PRINCIPLES 45
3.1 D ESIGN PRINCIPLES The following design principles were created to bridge the gap between the research insights and the development of design concepts. They draw from an understanding of the available information on cognitive ageing (See Section 2.3), an understanding of what type of tool or resource is needed (See Section 2.4) and of who the user might be (See Section 2.2). The design principles capture key insights to guide future project decisions, in a way that can easily be referred to. 1. Make It Visual Research indicates that designers relate better to visual information (See Section 2.3) and that many existing tools are too data and information heavy or not engaging to a design audience (See Section 2.4). Bring existing knowledge and data on ageing to life by making it visual and easily accessible. 2. Make It Diverse Ageing is a highly individualised process. Research suggests that there is need for resources that reflect this diversity (See Section 2.3). When selecting visuals, principles or stories, wherever possible, those that promote a diverse understanding of ageing, and the varying needs and capabilities that are part of the ageing process, should be favoured. 3. Make It Personal and Relatable Research suggests that for designers to create inclusive, innovative solutions, they need to develop real empathy for the people they are designing for, or with (See Section 2.3). To appeal to designers’ people-focused sensibility (See Section 2.4) use visuals, language and examples that foster empathy and understanding about ageing. 4. Make It Useful Beyond Design Design is not restricted only to the design of tangible things, but increasingly to services, experiences and systems (See Section 1.3.2). In addition many people who do not consider themselves to be designers are designing, or shaping, new products, services or policies that affect the lives of older adults (See Section 2.2). Making sure content is useful and relevant to ‘designers’ in the broadest sense means
the outcome will have wider reach. Evaluate examples and wherever possible make them applicable to multiple project types. 5. Stories That Lead to Action There are many reports, tools and resources relating to designing for older adults (See Section 2.4), what is needed is a tool that can be used throughout the design process (See Section 2.2). Wherever possible expose stories and examples that both inspire and prompt designers to translate their understanding into more inclusive design decisions. 6. More Questions, Not Only Answers Ageing and cognitive ageing are two complex areas. No resource on the subject will ever be exhaustive (See Section 2.4), however a good resource or tool will prompt inspiration, discussion and further research; acting as an entry point into the information. 7. New Ways To Navigate Information There is a wealth of information about ageing and cognitive ageing already in the public domain (See Section 2.4). Aim to build on existing knowledge by designing new ways to find, use, and navigate this information. Wherever possible enabling open collaboration. 8. Change Attitudes There are many stereotypes about ageing and who is old (See Section 3.3). The underlying aim should be to create a tool or resource that helps designers think differently about ageing. Create content encourages designers to realise they’re not designing for ‘the elderly’ only but for ‘their future selves’. (Laslett, 1989 cited in Coleman, 2006, p.3).
46 PRINCIPLE & PROMPT CARDS
DESIGN CONCEPTS
Fig. 3.2: Concept sketch of the Principle & Prompt cards, showing various levels of information.
DESIGN CONCEPTS
PRINCIPLE AND PROMPT CARDS 47
3.2 U NDERSTANDING, AGEING Building on the research and insights outlined in Section 2 and the resulting design principles (See Section 3.1); the various design concepts for this project aim to give form to the wealth of information already in the public domain, in ways that are more accessible to a design audience. The result is two design directions grouped under a common project title ‘Understanding, Ageing’.
3.2.1 PRINCIPLE & PROMPT CARDS The Principle and Prompt cards were developed throughout the research for this report as a tool to quickly and easily disseminate research. The cards are a way to package up information on ageing, specifically cognitive ageing, for a design audience, or those using a design process. The cards act as an easy entry point into the key research, and can be used as a tool at various stages of the design process, particularly during ideation or initial discovery phase.
3.2.1.1 CARD CONTENT & STRUCTURE: Each card contains various levels of information: short story quotes, inspirational or inclusive principles on designing for older people, as well as prompts to guide design decisions and references to direct further research. The various levels of information make it easier to navigate (and remember!) existing research and easier to refer to during the design process. LEVEL ONE: 1. Tag – Indicates the category of information contained on the card. 2. Visual Inspiration – Each card contains an image that visually captures the principle and persona information, appealing to designers visual nature. 3. Persona-Stories – In addition to the visual, each card contains a micro story or quote, which reinforces the main principle on the
card. These stories are included to make each principle more memorable and capture a snapshot of the person’s life through snippets of information such as frequently performed tasks, frustrations, interests, goals, motivations or other behaviour. In a similar way to the ‘persona’ design method which would be very familiar to both those of the ‘Design-Maker’ and the ‘Change-Maker’ user archetype. Collected together the personastories and visuals aim to create a richer view of the person. LEVEL TWO: 4. Design Principles – The design principles contained on the card capture principles for inclusive design or design for older people in a short, easy to digest format. The principles act as a guiding rule when making design decisions. 5. Design Prompts – The design prompts act as suggestions to how the principles might be applied to designs or projects. These are included to make sure these cards are useful, trigger new ways to look at design decisions, or lead to action. The actions that result can be as simple as being prompted to look at things in a new way or research the underlying principle further. LAYER THREE 6. References – References are included to attribute the information and to prompt further research.
48 PRINCIPLE & PROMPT CARDS
Fig. 3.3: Principle & Prompt cards as sets of personas.
DESIGN CONCEPTS
DESIGN CONCEPTS
3.2.1.2 SCENARIOS OF USE Once completed, the deck will contain five or more persona-stories, with eight cards making up each persona. Including a variety of personas with different interests, experiences and capabilities encourages a broader view of who is old, and what it means to be old. The cards could be used or grouped in different ways depending on the nature of the project and the team preferences. Their flexible nature allows one to use the cards visually, as prompts or inspiration, or laid out as personas. They could be used by individuals or in team or co-design work. While the cards were developed to incorporate the needs of the ‘design-makers’, ‘change-makers’ and ‘decision-makers’ and would be particularly useful to student designers, service or product designers or those working in user experience or digital design; they might be of value to anybody who aims to take into account older people in their work. The tool is created for those who might not have time for ethnographic research or for co-design work, or as a supplement to qualitative design research.
3.2.1.3 AIMS Through the principles, prompts and personastories the aim is to bring a human dimension to project decisions for ‘design-makers’, ‘changemakers’ and ‘decision-makers’. Many of the designers interviewed for this research confirmed that they do not undertake much, or any, ethnographic or user research before projects, especially on smaller projects (See Section 2.2). While the cards will never be a replacement to quality research with the people designs or solutions are being created for, the cards, by being in a concise, compact, format are an alternative when time or budget do not allow for user research. In addition, because so many designers are not aware of, or do not actively consider, the effects of
PRINCIPLE AND PROMPT CARDS 49
TYPES OF INFORMATION CONTAINED IN PERSONA-STORIES
GENDER
COGNITIVE ABILITY
AGE
EDUCATION
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS
FREQUENTLY PERFORMED ASKS
INTERESTS & REGULAR ACTIVITIES
EXPERIENCES, ESPECIALLY GENERATION RELATED
PHYSICAL & MENTAL CAPABILITIES
PAIN-POINTS OR FRUSTRATIONS
PRODUCTS & TECH FROM FORMATIVE AGE
DURING MY FORMATIVE AGE...
+ UNIVERSAL WANTS ‘TO FEEL CONNECTED’1
+ UNIVERSAL WANTS ‘A SENSE OF WELL-BEING’1
+ UNIVERSAL WANTS ‘A SENSE OF PURPOSE’1
Fig. 3.4: T ypes of information to be included in persona-story content of cards. 1. (Kahn, 2013, p.8).
50 PRINCIPLE & PROMPT CARDS
DESIGN CONCEPTS
DESIGN CONCEPTS
PRINCIPLE AND PROMPT CARDS 51
cogntive ageing when making design decisions (See Section 2.2), these cards might be useful to engage even those who do undertake qualitative research – sparking realisation of the importance of understanding cognitive ageing and prompting further qualitative research focused on these issues. The persona-stories contained in the cards aim to create a more balanced view of what it’s like to grow old, and reflect some things one might struggle with as one ages, but equally, reflect the goals and aspirations of a new generation of older people: the Baby Boomers (See Section 2.3). By including these goals and aspirations the cards reflect many of the possibilities and opportunities that can result if businesses or organisations adapt their offerings to an ageing population. The cards also aim to capture how simple design improvements to accommodate the cognitive changes that occur as we age, can mean design improvements that benefit people of all ages. Thinking of ourselves as part of this sliding scale of capability and ageing makes us much more empathetic.
3.2.1.4 INITIAL FEEDBACK While the cards are still in concept phase and need to progress to detailed design development, initial feedback and testing while prototyping the concept has proven favourable. Feedback from various designers and design students in diverse areas of design such as web design, interior architecture and branding have indicated that such a resource would be of use to them. Particularly if the cards were made as a free-to-download resource. Other comments and suggestion that have been incorporated into the current prototype were for the cards to be one sided to allow wall mounting and use of the cards alongside other materials such as post-it notes. The size of the cards were also increased to have more visual impact at a distance.
Agnes Kata Joan Fig. 3.5: Sample personas that form part of cards
52 PRINCIPLE & PROMPT CARDS
SOCIAL
DESIGN CONCEPTS
WORKING MEMORY
“ I moved house recently. I’m not too far away from my old town, but I have to take two buses to get there, so I don’t visit as often as I‘d like. ”
“ We recently booked some flights online. I’d never done that before, but it was easier than I thought. The website showed me what to do step-by-step. “
PRINCIPLE – Maintaining a large group of friends and other relationships and remaining involved in productive, social acitivites, positively impacts our cogntive abilities.1
PRINCIPLE – Our ability to keep information alive while we make sense of it, or process it, decreases as we age.1
PROMPT – What designs could enable easier connection to friends and loved ones as we age? Or make it simpler to remain involved in social or community activities even late into life?
PROMPT – Simple reminders, auto prompts or even indicating the steps involved in a task makes it easier for us to use and interact with designs without relying on our memory.2
Ref 1: Life Extension Foundation, 2013
TECHNOLOGY GENERATIONS
“ Our grandchildren are always tapping and swiping our television screen! In our day we actually had to push the buttons! ”
Ref 1: Czaja and Lee, 2006 2: Ellison, 2011
PROCESSING
“ My daughter bought me a mobile phone, but things are always popping up on the screen so quickly – they’re gone before I can even see what they say! ”
PRINCIPLE – Experiences during our formative age, between the age of 10-25, influcences much of our future behaviour, including how we interact with designs and technology.1
PRINCIPLE – Our processing speed declines with age, so we tend to be slower at processing and retrieving information, typically we take a longer time to respond.1
PROMPT – Being aware of the types of design and technology that were availabe during this formative age, gives us clues to what could make designs easier and more intuitive to use.2
PROMPT – Make sure to provide sufficient time for people to complete tasks and respond to prompts. Give people control over movement and timing.2
Ref 1: Becker, 2000 cited in Lim, 2009 2: Carroll et al. 1988 cited in Lim, 2009
Fig. 3.6: Principle & Prompt card examples
Ref 1: Czaja and Lee, 2006 2: Ellison, 2011
DESIGN CONCEPTS
PRINCIPLE AND PROMPT CARDS 53
PROSPECTIVE MEMORY
ATTENTION
“ I have to take medication at the same time every day, but I often forget! Now I try to remember to take it straight after the eight o’clock news!”
“ I often do my shopping at the smaller shops. The big shopping centres are so noisy and busy that I go in and completely forget what I wanted to buy! “
PRINCIPLE – Our ability to remember to do something in the future generally declines with age. Time-based memory declines more noticably than event-based memory.1
PRINCIPLE – With age, we might more easily become distracted by stray thoughts or unecesssary visual, aural or tactile stimuli.1
PROMPT – Design solutions that incorporate reminders and prioritise event-based memory over time-based memory can help make it easier for older users.
PROMPT – Avoid unnessary distractions or stimuli such as noises and flashing or moving images, that might make it harder for older users to use or respond to designs.
Ref 1: Czaja and Lee, 2006
AGEING
Ref 1: Pak and Kambil, 2007
CONTROL
“ Even though I struggle with some things, I still try. Even when I was younger I was like that, I was always volunteering to give it a go! ”
“ We’ve decided to move to a smaller home next year. We will share a garden with the neighbours, which gives us all the joy, but a lot less hassle. ”
PRINCIPLE – As we age, there might be certain things we struggle to do, but we are still the same person, with the same personality, not a stereotype of what an old person is like.1
PRINCIPLE – Feeling more independant and in control of ones life and the decisions we make, positively impacts our cognitive abilities.1
PROMPT – How can you make sure your designs don’t enforce stereotypes, or make assumptions about what it’s like to be old, but address the real needs, and wants, of older users?
PROMPT – What designs could make it easier for us to remain independant, in control of our lives and decisions even late into our lives?
Ref 1: Age Uk, 2014
Fig. 3.7: Principle & Prompt card examples
Ref 1: Life Extension Foundation, 2013
54 COLLABORATIVE RESOURCE
DESIGN CONCEPTS
1. VISUAL PROMPTS
Useful for
DESIGN PRINCIPLES DESIGN PROMPTS
CO-DESIGN, INDIVIDUAL OR
PRINCIPLE
TEAM WORK
& PROMPT CARD DECK
PERSONASTORIES
(See Section 3.2.1 and Fig. 3.2 for more detail)
2. Useful for
3.
Useful for
INDIVIDUAL
ENGAGING NEW DESIGNERS IN THE USE OF THE
RESEARCH, SHARING
CARD DECK
OF KNOWLEDGE WIKI
ACCOMPANYING
COLLABORATIVE
WORKSHOPS
RESOURCE
(See Section 3.2.2 for more detail)
(See Section 3.2.3 for more detail)
Fig. 3.8: Overview of the Understanding, Ageing project
DESIGN CONCEPTS
3.2.2 COLLABORATIVE RESOURCE The collaborative resource design concept developed out of the research into existing resources (See Section 2.4) and the observation that while there are many resources available on designing for older people, there is not one comprehensive resource. Many of the available resources have their own individual aims or specific aims for the associated organisation. Finding clear guidelines on designing for older people is hard, and time consuming. In addition almost all of the resources are static content and not regularly updated. A resource that pools knowledge on ageing could be useful to address that need.
3.2.2.1 ONLINE RESOURCE STRUCTURE The second suggested project output is a digital version of the Understanding, Ageing knowledge resource. Further suggestion is that this online resource is created in a collaborative fashion, as a combined venture between various researchers and design practitioners; a way to share knowledge. The online resource could be structured as a WIKI, creating a WIKI: Understanding, Ageing. While the most commonly referred to WIKI is Wikipedia, a crowd-produced encyclopedia; a WIKI is any website that allows collaborative editing of its content by users (Collins, 2011). It is a way to involve those using the site in an ongoing process of collaboration.
3.2.2.2 SCENARIOS OF USE While the Principle and Prompt cards work well for team work, many of the designers interviewed suggested that the best, ‘go-to’ way for them to access this type of information would be online. Accessing the information in an online format would be useful for individual research or reference prior or during a project. The WIKI: Understanding, Ageing acts as an entry point to all the information on designing
COLLABORATIVE RESOURCE 55
for an older population that is already in the public domain, but one that can be continually be updated and contributed too very easily. In this way students from various Universities Universities, experts from organisations such as Nesta or researchers such as those from the Helen Hamlyn Centre can collaboratively contribute to a resource on ageing. Contributing research to the resource could also be a useful way for design researchers to disseminate any relevant research they might have undertaken, in a format more accessible than only reports that are accessed by few. Attributing the research to themselves, or their project team, and linking to further project details and contact information could be a useful way to gain exposure for their work or connect with those in similar research areas.
3.2.2.3 AIMS Mapping the various organisations and projects centred around design for ageing revealed that are numerous groups, organisations and related projects, each with their own project or research outputs. In addition to aiming to create resource that is updated continually, and develops as the research on designing for older people develops; the WIKI aims to aid collaboration between the various groups and organisations. Between academics and researchers and industry professional or students.
3.2.3 ACCOMPANYING WORKSHOP A third suggested project output is a workshop to accompany the Principle and Prompt cards. Initially this would be useful for developing the content for the cards, but later would be an important part of creating interest in the resource and distributing the card decks. While not developed for the purposes of this report, it is an area future researchers could pursue.
56 PRINCIPLE FUTURE DIRECTIONS & PROMPT CARDS
DESIGN CONCLUSIONS OUTPUT
CONCLUSIONS
FUTURE DIRECTIONS 57
4. CONCLUSIONS
58 FUTURE DIRECTIONS
CONCLUSIONS
‘ While the design outputs presented in this report are still in concept phase, and would benefit from focussed research and design development, they are the foundation for developing an extremely useful tool, one which is currently not available.’
CONCLUSIONS
FUTURE DIRECTIONS 59
4.1 P ROJECT CONCLUSIONS This report is the result of eight months of part-time research and design, and only scratches the surface of how an understanding of cognitive ageing could be relevant to designers. While the design outputs presented in this report are still in concept phase and would benefit from focussed research and design development, they are the foundation for developing an extremely useful tool, one which is currently not available, as well as filling the need for a comprehensive resource on design for older people.
4.1.1 TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING The research undertaken for this report was done in order to bring clarity surrounding the aims and objectives of the larger project ‘Good Design for an Older Population’ and suggest concepts and future directions for the project. Key questions such as ‘what is good design?’ and ‘How does good design help us age well?’ were asked upfront in order to determine the social and economic value the final project might bring. A look at key influences on the project – the rapidly ageing population and design moving towards experiences – situate the project in its wider context. Research was undertaken into who might use this tool or resource and what type of content might be useful to them. A clear understanding of who the project is targeting, is essential to a successful project outcome. A comparison of existing tools and resources to uncover gaps and needs means going forward the project is not recreating what already exists.
60 FUTURE DIRECTIONS
CONCLUSIONS
‘ The design principles and concepts developed for this report provide a jumping-off point for researchers developing this project in the future. ’
CONCLUSIONS
FUTURE DIRECTIONS 61
4.2 N EXT STEPS The design principles and concepts developed for this report provide a jumping-off point for researchers developing this project in the future. The principle and prompt cards in essence act both as a prototype for a final design tool; but also as a boundary object to capture and pass on the research to project stakeholders, design researchers working on the project in the future and other interested parties. The following recommendations and suggestions provide ideas of which parts of the project should be developed further:
4.1.2 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 4.1.2.1 DEVELOPMENT OF FURTHER CARDS: With the design principles as guidance for future content, the cards would need to be expanded with further examples. Examples of how cognitive changes affect day-to-day lives need to be found and developed into further cards. While there is content available in research papers and reports; expert interviews with those in cognitive science and inclusive design could reveal further useful content. First hand observations or interviews with older people could develop the persona-stories further. Part of the project needs to devote time to testing the outcome to ensure the information provided is complex and relevant enough, but also that it is simple and engaging to use.
4.1.2.2 DEVELOPMENT OF WIKI: The existing WIKI prototype would need to be developed further in order for it to be fully functional. Consideration also needs to placed on the full service: How would potential users become aware of the resource? How would they use and contribute to the resource? How would they remain engaged? How could organisations contribute to the resource and help maintain it, while still keeping it crowd-sourced? Could the content developed from the resource feed back into the card deck?
4.1.2.3 TESTING WORKSHOP: The final card deck would need to be tested and refined in further focus groups with various designers. A good starting point would be to test and develop the cards with student designers, before expanding to trial the card content with further groups of ‘Design-Makers’, ‘Change-Makers’ and ‘Decision-Makers’. Once the content was sufficiently refined and full set developed, the researcher could develop the card set further to incorporate various workshop materials for Understanding, Ageing workshops, creating even more immersive content to provide and understanding of cognitive ageing.
62 A-C
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
D-G 63
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
64 A-C
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Andrews, J., 2012. A Revolution for Dementia Treatment. [interview] BBC Radio 4, 25 April 2012, 20:45. Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01gh8n4> [Accessed 28 Jan 2014]. Arnqvist, A., Benktzon, M. and Lindström, M. 2009. Living as a Senior in 2020. Veryday Aspects of Design [blog] Available at: <http://veryday.com/aspect/living-as-a-senior-2020/> [Accessed 2 March 2014]. Ballie, R.A., 2012. Big Content: Content Strategy as a Design Framework. [Online] Available at: http://www. slideshare.net/rahelab/big-content-content-strategy-as-a-design-framework [Accessed 23 May 2014]. Bedell, G. and Young, R. eds., 2009. The New Old Age: Perspectives on Innovating Our Way to the Good Life for All. [Pdf ] London: Nesta. Available at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/the_new_old_age. pdf [Accessed 30 January 2014]. Brown, T., 2009. Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation. New York: Harper Business. Burns, C., Cottam, H., Vanstone, C. and Winhall, J., 2006. Red Paper 02: Transformation Design. [Pdf ] London: Design Council. Available at: http://www.designcouncil.info/mt/RED/transformationdesign/ TransformationDesignFinalDraft.pdf [Accessed 30 January 2014]. Carsten, L.L. and Hartel, C.R. eds., 2006. When I’m 64: Committee on Aging Frontiers in Social Psychology, Personality, and Adult Developmental Psychology. [Pdf ] Washington D.C.: National Academy of Sciences. Available at: National Academy Press <http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11474> [Accessed 24 March 2014]. Centre for Usability Research and Engineering, 2011. CURE Elderly Personas. [Online] Available at: http:// elderlypersonas.cure.at/ [Accessed 24 March 2014]. Chen, S., 2008. Transitions: Communication, Ageing and Independent Living. Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, [Online]. Available at: http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/CMS/files/Transitions.pdf [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Coleman, R., 2006. From Margins to Mainstream: Why Inclusive Design is Better Design. Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, [Online]. Available at: http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/cms/files/ergsoclecture06.pdf [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Crouch, C., Pearce, J., 2012. Doing Research in Design. London: Berg. Czaja, S.J., Lee, C.C., 2006. The Impact of Aging on Access to Technology. Universal Access in the Information Society, [Online]. 5(4), 341-349. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10/1007/s102090060060x [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Design Commission, 2013. Restarting Britain 2: Design and Public Services. [Pdf ] London: Design Comission. Available at: www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/DC_Restarting_ Britain_2_report.pdf [Accessed 25 December 2013]. Design Council, 2001. Living Longer: The New Context for Design. [Pdf ] London: Design Council. Available at: http://www.education.edean.org/pdf/Intro033.pdf [Accessed 30 January 2014].
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Design Council, 2008. The Good Design Plan [Pdf ] London: Design Council. Available at: http://www. atvinnuvegaraduneyti.is/media/Acrobat/The-Good-Design-Plan_designcouncil.pdf [Accessed 30 May 2014] Design Council, 2013. Design for Public Good [Pdf ] London: Design Council. Available at: www. designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/Design%20for%20Public%20Good. pdf [Accessed 25 December 2013]. Design Council, 2014. Inclusive Design: From the Pixel to the City. [video online] Available at: <http:// www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/inclusive-design-pixel-city> [Accessed 28 July 2014]. Ellison, R., 2011. Designing for Cognitive Disabilities [Slideshare]. 25 August. Available at:<www.slideshare. net/RuthEllison/designing-for-cognitive-disabilities> [Accessed 23 February 2014]. Farson, R., 2008. The Power of Design: A Force for Transforming Everything. Chester: Greenway Communications. Hanington, B., Martin, B., 2012. Universal Design Methods: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions. Minneapolis: Rockport Publishers. Kimbell, L., Julier, J., 2012. The Social Design Methods Menu. [Pdf ] London: Fieldstudio Ltd. Available at: www.lucykimbell.com/stuff/Fieldstudio_SocialDesignMethodsMenu.pdf/[Accessed 25 December 2013]. Kolko, J., 2012. Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving. [Online] Available at: https://www. wickedproblems.com/ [Accessed 25 January 2014]. Koskinen, I., Zimmerman, J., Binder, T., Redstrom, J. and Wensveen, S., 2011. Design Research Through Practice: From the Lab, Field and Showroom. Waltham: Morgan Kaufmann Schneider, J., Stickdorn, M., 2010. Service Design Thinking: Basics, Tools, Cases. Amsterdam: BIS Publishers. Segelström, F., 2010. Communicating through Visualizations: Service Designers on Visualizing User Research. In: DeThinkingService, ReThinkingDesign. First Nordic Conference on Service Design and Service Innovation. Oslo, Norway, 24-26 November 2009. Oslo: The Oslo School of Architecture and Design. John Clarkson, P., Coleman, R., 2013. History of Inclusive Design in the UK. Applied Ergonomics, [Online]. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10/1016/j.apergo.2013.03.002 [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Goodman, J., Langdon, P. and Clarkson, P. J. 2007. Formats for User Data in Inclusive Design. [Pdf ] Beijing: Springer. Available at: http://www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk/~jag76/research/2007_uahci_p2/uahci_paper2. pdf[Accessed 24 March 2014]. Kahn, H., 2013. 5 Hours a Day: Systemic Innovation for an Ageing Population. [Pdf ] London: Nesta. Available at: http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/five_hours_a_day_jan13.pdf [Accessed 12 January 2014]. Lim, S.C., 2010. Designing inclusive ICT products for older users: taking into account the technology
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generation effect. Journal of Engineering Design, [Online]. 21(2), 189-206. Available at: http://dx.doi. org/10/1080/09544820903317001 [Accessed 06 January 2014]. Løvlie, L., Reason, B. and Polaine, A., 2013. Service Design: From Insight to Implementation. New York: Rosenfeld Media Namahn and Design Flanders, 2011. Service Design Tool kit. [Online] Available at: http://www. servicedesigntoolkit.org/ [Accessed 10 December 2013]. Nune, F., Silve, P.A. and Abrantes, F., 2010. Human-Computer Interaction and the Older Adult: An Example Using User Research and Personas. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Pervasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments. New York: PETRA ’10. Pak, C., Kambil, A., 2007. Wealth with Wisdom: Serving the Aging Consumer. Deloitte University Press, [Online] Available at: http://dupress.com/articles/wealth-and-wisdom [Accessed 10 June 2014]. Pars Pro Toto, 2013. The World of Nestor. [Online] Available at: http://www.wereldvannestor.be [Accessed 10 December 2013]. Persad, U., Langdon, P., Brown, D. and John Clarkson, P., 2007. Cognitive Scales and Mental Models for Inclusive Design. In C. Stephanidis, ed. 2007. Universal Access in HCI. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. pp. 776-785. Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre, 2011. Designing with People. [Online] Available at: http:// designingwithpeople.rca.ac.uk [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Rubin, D.C., Rahhal, T.A., 1998. Things Learned in Early Adulthood are Remembered Best. Memory & Cognition, 26(1), pp. 3-19. Thackara, J., 2006. In The Bubble: Designing in a Complex World. Cambridge: MIT Press. Thackara, J., 2014. Design for Good: Eight Rules of Engagement. Doorsofperception.co.uk, [Blog] 25 December. Available at: http://www.doorsofperception.com/handouts/how-to-be-good-eight-rules-ofengagement-for-design-and-development [Accessed 12 January 2014]. Transgenerational Design Matters, 2011. Transgenerational Design Matters. [Online] (Updated 2013) Available at: http://www.transgenerational.org [Accessed 30 January 2014]. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 2002. World Population Ageing: 1950-2050. New York: United Nations. University of Cambridge Engineering Design Centre, 2011. Inclusive design toolkit. [Online] Available at: http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com [Accessed 10 December 2013]. Viladàs, X., 2011. Design at Your Service: How to Improve your Business with a Designer’s Help. Spain: Index Books.
APPENDICES
D-G 67
6. APPENDICES
68
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 6.1: DESIGN PRACTITIONER INTERVIEWS
Designers who are aware of varying user capability levels
UNAWARE
OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN &
AWARE
OF CAPABILITY LEVELS
AWARE
OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN &
AWARE
OF CAPABILITY LEVELS
Designers not aware of ‘good design’ and why it is important in their practice
Designers already using inclusive design principles
UNAWARE
OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN &
UNAWARE
OF CAPABILITY LEVELS
AWARE
OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN &
UNAWARE
OF CAPABILITY LEVELS
Designers who have little knowledge of users varying capability levels
Interviews with design practitioners from various disciplines were conducted to establish whether they take older users into account in their designs and whether they are aware of the varying capability levels we have as we age. These answers were plotted on a matrix to see what type of content might be useful. While most of those interviewed were aware of inclusive design principles, many did not have an understanding of how our capability levels change as we age. The majority of those interviewed also had very little or no idea about the cognitive changes that occur as one ages.
APPENDICES
69
APPENDIX 6.1: DESIGN PRACTITIONER INTERVIEWS
Designers who are aware of varying user capability levels
2
11 Designers not aware of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;good designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and why it is important in their practice
4
6 12
8 10
1
Designers already using inclusive design principles
7 5 9
3
Designers who have little knowledge of users varying capability levels
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Brand Manager Design Researcher/Ethnographer Graphic Designer Industrial Designer Industrial Designer #2 Environments/Interior Architect
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Public Service Innovation Professional Service Designer Service Designer #2 Social Start-Up Director User Experience Designer Web & User-Interface Designer
Matrix showing interviewees level of knowledge about inclusive design and ageing.
70
APPENDIX 6.2: DESIGN ARCHETYPES
APPENDICES
APPENDICES
Design-maker user archetype.
71
72
Change-maker user archetype.
APPENDICES
APPENDICES
Decision-maker user archetype.
73
74
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 6.3: C OMPARISON OF EXISTING TOOLS AND RESOURCES 6.2.1 D ESIGNING FOR OLDER PEOPLE: KEY TOOLS AND RESOURCES
6.2.1.3 EUROPEAN DESIGN FOR ALL E-ACCESSIBILITY NETWORK •
www.education.edean.org
In order to determine what type of resource was needed, an audit of existing resources was taken. This was done by comparing a sample of ten prominent resources that aim to provide information on better design for older adults.
6.2.1.1 INCLUSIVE DESIGN TOOLKIT •
www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com
6.2.1.4 CURE ELDERLY PERSONAS •
www.elderlypersonas.cure.at
6.2.1.2 INCLUSIVE DESIGN CARDS •
www3.eng.cam.ac.uk/inclusivedesign/ dtisurvey/cards.php
6.2.1.5 TRANSGENERATIONAL DESIGN •
www.transgenerational.org
APPENDICES
75
6.2.1.6 DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE
6.2.1.9 THE WORLD OF NESTOR
•
•
www.designingwithpeople.rca.ac.uk
www.wereldvannestor.be
6.2.1.7 DESIGNING OUR TOMORROW
6.2.1.10 IF ONLY IT WORKED
•
•
www.designingourtomorrow.com
6.2.1.8 ENABLED BY DESIGN www.enabledbydesign.org
www.ifonlyitworked.com
76
APPENDICES
6.2.2 RESOURCE AUDIT
•
The ten online resources were compared by twelve professionals from various design-related backgrounds: • • • • • • • • • •
Brand Manager x1 Design Researcher/Ethnographer x1 Graphic Designer x1 Industrial Designer x2 Environments/Interior Architect x1 Public Service Innovation Professional x1 Service Designer x2 Social Start-Up Director x1 User Experience Designer x1 Web & User-Interface Designer x1
The reviewers were instructed to spend 2-5 minutes browsing through each of the resources and then rate each resources on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest rating, 10 being the highest, or equivalent to a 100% rating). The reviewers were given mark sheets with categories relating to specific usability and content audit criteria as well as space for additional comments or suggestions. The results were averaged and recorded in table form.
6.2.2.2 AUDIT CRITERIA (CONTENT): •
Relevance – Refers to how relevant the content is to someone who is in designrelated work. Is the content relevant and useful to you? Is there content that is useful for various design phases – research, concept development, presentations?
•
Comprehensive – Refers to how comprehensive the content is. Is there the right amount of information, or does the resource seem sparse? Is the content diverse, or does it only reflect the author/organisation’s aims?
•
Includes Cognition? – Refers to the level of content available on the cognitive side of ageing. Is there useful and relevant information on cognition?
•
Up-to-Date – Refers to how current the content in the resource is. Is the information topical and relevant to current needs? Has all content been updated? Is all the information still available?
6.2.2.1 AUDIT CRITERIA (VISUAL): •
•
•
Look and Feel – Refers to the visual design (look) of the resource and the appeal of the colours, typography and imagery. As well as to the functional elements (feel) such as layout, buttons and dynamic features. Multi-Modal – Refers to the way the content is presented. Is there good use of a range of modes – text, video, imagery, audio...? Is it possible to interact with the content in different ways? Engagement – Refer to the level of engagement the site has. Are you tempted explore the site longer?
Memorability – Refers to the overall memorability of the resource. Is it something that seems engaging or useful enough that you might return to use it in the future? Is the name and purpose clear and memorable?
6.2.2.3 AUDIT CRITERIA (USABILITY): •
Content Usability – Refers to how easy it is to use the content. Is the content hidden in reports or data or is it presented in a way that is useful to a design audience? Is content in simple to understand language? Is it possible to extract content to use for different project phases?
•
Resource Usability – Refers to how easy to use the resource is. Is the interface simple to navigate? Is information accessible and quick to find? Would it be easy to return on another occasion and re-find the required information?
APPENDICES
77
ADAPTABILITY
USEFUL FORMATS
USABILITY
%
CONTENT
RESOURCE USABILITY
CONTENT USABILITY
UP-TO-DATE
INCLUDES COGNITION
COMPREHENSIVE
RELEVANCE
MEMORABILITY
ENGAGEMENT
MULTI-MODAL
LOOK & FEEL
VISUAL
AVAILABLE ONLINE RESOURCES
INCLUSIVE DESIGN TOOLKIT
6
8
7
6
7
7
8
7
7
7
8
5
69.0
INCLUSIVE DESIGN CARDS
6
3
7
6
6
5
5
5
8
8
5
5
57.5
EURO DESIGN FOR ALL NETWORK
5
6
6
5
7
5
5
3
6
6
7
6
55.8
CURE ELDERLY PERSONAS
6
5
5
7
6
6
6
8
7
7
8
6
64.1
TRANSGENERATIONAL DESIGN
7
6
7
6
7
7
7
8
8
7
5
6
67.5
DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE
7
6
7
7
7
8
7
7
7
7
8
8
71.6
DESIGNING OUR TOMORROW
3
5
5
4
5
5
2
4
5
5
4
5
43.3
ENABLED BY DESIGN
7
7
7
6
6
5
4
6
5
7
5
8
60.8
THE WORLD OF NESTOR
8
8
8
9
7
5
6
7
8
8
8
5
72.5
IF ONLY IT WORKED
7
8
8
8
6
6
5
7
7
6
5
7
66.7
Comparison of key resources on design for ageing
•
Useful Formats – Refers to the usefulness of the format of the resource. Is a website the most useful format? Are there options to print or download the tools? Is the resource useful for both individual and teamwork?
•
Adaptability – Refers to the adaptability of the resource. Are there options to contribute to or adapt the tools?
78
APPENDICES
QUESTIONNAIRE: TOOLS & RESOURCES ON AGEING INSTRUCTIONS •
Please spend approximately five minutes looking through the resources and tools for designing for
•
older people, listed below. Please rate them based on the criteria included in the scoring table below. Using a score out of 10 (10 being the highest rating and equivalent of 100%).
•
More details on the criteria can be found below the table.
AUDIT CRITERIA (VISUAL): •
Look and Feel – Refers to the visual design (look) of the resource and the appeal of the colours, typography and imagery. As well as to the functional elements (feel) such as layout, buttons and dynamic features.
•
Multi-Modal – Refers to the way the content is presented. Is there good use of a range of modes –
•
text, video, imagery, audio...? Is it possible to interact with the content in different ways? Engagement – Refer to the level of engagement the site has. Are you tempted explore the site
•
longer? Memorability – Refers to the overall memorability of the resource. Is it something that seems engaging or useful enough that you might return to use it in the future? Is the name and purpose clear and memorable?
AUDIT CRITERIA (CONTENT): •
•
• •
Relevance – Refers to how relevant the content is to someone who is in design-related work. Is the content relevant and useful to you? Is there content that is useful for various design phases – research, concept development, presentations? Comprehensive – Refers to how comprehensive the content is. Is there the right amount of information, or does the resource seem sparse? Is the content diverse, or does it only reflect the author/organisation’s aims? Includes Cognition? – Refers to the level of content available on the cognitive side of ageing. Is there useful and relevant information on cognition? Up-to-Date – Refers to how current the content in the resource is. Is the information topical and relevant to current needs? Has all content been updated? Is all the information still available?
AUDIT CRITERIA (USABILITY): •
•
•
•
Content Usability – Refers to how easy it is to use the content. Is the content hidden in reports or data or is it presented in a way that is useful to a design audience? Is content in simple to understand language? Is it possible to extract content to use for different project phases? Resource Usability – Refers to how easy to use the resource is. Is the interface simple to navigate? Is information accessible and quick to find? Would it be easy to return on another occasion and re-find the required information? Useful Formats – Refers to the usefulness of the format of the resource. Is a website the most useful format? Are there options to print or download the tools? Is the resource useful for both individual and teamwork? Adaptability – Refers to the adaptability of the resource. Are there options to contribute to or adapt the tools?
Content Audit Questionnaire (Page 1)
APPENDICES
79
QUESTIONAIRRE: TOOLS & RESOURCES ON AGEING
INCLUSIVE DESIGN TOOLKIT
6
8
7
6
7
7
8
7
7
7
8
5
INCLUSIVE DESIGN CARDS
6
3
7
6
6
5
5
5
8
8
5
5
EURO DESIGN FOR ALL NETWORK
5
6
6
5
7
5
5
3
6
6
7
6
CURE ELDERLY PERSONAS
6
5
5
7
6
6
6
8
7
7
8
6
TRANSGENERATIONAL DESIGN
7
6
7
6
7
7
7
8
8
7
5
6
DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE
7
6
7
7
7
8
7
7
7
7
8
8
DESIGNING OUR TOMORROW
3
5
5
4
5
5
2
4
5
5
4
5
ENABLED BY DESIGN
7
7
7
6
6
5
4
6
5
7
5
8
THE WORLD OF NESTOR
8
8
8
9
7
5
6
7
8
8
8
5
IF ONLY IT WORKED
7
8
8
8
6
6
5
7
7
6
5
7
INCLUSIVE DESIGN TOOLKIT
6.
INCLUSIVE DESIGN CARDS
7.
www3.eng.cam.ac.uk/inclusivedesign/dtisurvey/cards.php
3.
EUROPEAN DESIGN FOR ALL E-ACCESSIBILITY NETWORK CURE ELDERLY PERSONAS www.elderlypersonas.cure.at
5.
TRANSGENERATIONAL DESIGN www.transgenerational.org
Content Audit Questionnaire (Page 2)
DESIGNING OUR TOMORROW www.designingourtomorrow.com
8.
www.education.edean.org
4.
DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE www.designingwithpeople.rca.ac.uk
www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com
2.
ADAPTABILITY
USABILITY
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS:
1.
USEFUL FORMATS
CONTENT
RESOURCE USABILITY
CONTENT USABILITY
UP-TO-DATE
INCLUDES COGNITION
COMPREHENSIVE
RELEVANCE
MEMORABILITY
ENGAGEMENT
MULTI-MODAL
LOOK & FEEL
VISUAL
ONLINE RESOURCES
ENABLED BY DESIGN www.enabledbydesign.org
9.
THE WORLD OF NESTOR www.wereldvannestor.be
10. IF ONLY IT WORKED www.ifonlyitworked.com
80
APPENDICES