Older Adults Imagining Future Technologies in Participatory Design Workshops: Supporting Continuity in the Pursuit of Meaningful Activities

Title of the Paper

Older Adults Imagining Future Technologies in Participatory Design Workshops: Supporting Continuity in the Pursuit of Meaningful Activities

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) focusing on older adults
• Keywords: older adults, technology, meaningful activities, participatory design, digital technology, co-design, aging, smart home, continuity theory, user-centered design

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges:

  • Despite recent technological advancements offering numerous opportunities, existing research provides limited understanding of how older adults utilize emerging technologies to engage in meaningful activities.
  • Stereotypes in society often portray older adults as resistant to or lacking proficiency with emerging technologies, potentially underestimating their creative application and wisdom in leveraging technology.
  • Many current studies focus on supporting older adults in health monitoring and activity tracking, with less exploration of technologies designed to support hobbies, social interactions, or independent living.

• Significance of the Research:

  • Meaningful activities are critical for the psychological well-being and quality of life of older adults.
  • Technology can help older adults maintain continuity in their lifestyle and extend independent living despite physical decline.
  • Exploring how technology can support continuity in older adults' lifestyles contributes to improved design aligned with their values and needs.

• Motivation and Related Work:

  • This study is grounded in "Continuity Theory," which posits that older adults tend to adapt to aging by maintaining consistent lifestyles and activity patterns to foster a sense of identity.
  • Investigating how older adults perceive emerging technologies (including AI, virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) in supporting meaningful activities, as well as their visions for future technologies, is key to innovative design.

Solution

• Methods or Solutions:

  • This study organized three participatory design workshops with older adults, followed by individual interviews to explore their perspectives on existing and emerging technologies.
  • The workshops were divided into three phases: the first focused on "meaningful activities"; the second involved demonstrations and experiences with VR, AR, and other emerging technologies; the third combined observations and feedback to co-design future concepts.
  • Qualitative analysis methods were employed, including reflective thematic analysis, clustering analysis, and prototype design generated from group discussions.

• Innovative Aspects:

  • Applying participatory design to older adult groups, collecting their ideas and feedback to explore the potential of new technologies.
  • Introducing the "Continuity Theory" framework to deeply investigate older adults' needs and visions, proposing a technology design philosophy centered on supporting "continuity."

• Implementation Steps and Key Technologies:

  • Workshop Structure:
    1. Phase 1: Participants discussed and documented activities they considered "meaningful."
    2. Phase 2: Participants experienced new technologies (VR, AR, generative AI, etc.) and discussed their potential applications.
    3. Phase 3: Participants collaboratively designed future technology concepts (e.g., home control systems, enhanced social platforms, and smart kitchen devices).
  • Follow-up Interviews: Explored participants' feedback on new designs and further requirements.
  • Technological Tools:
    • Head-mounted displays (Oculus Quest 2, HoloLens 2)
    • Generative AI (ChatGPT)

Research Outcomes

• Specific Results:

  • Participants defined "meaningful activities" into five categories: personal interests and hobbies, social interactions, physical activities, learning and self-enrichment, and entertainment and relaxation.
  • Through technology design, they envisioned systems supporting hobbies (e.g., smart gardening applications), home control systems (SHAS), and enhanced video conferencing technologies.
  • Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of "aging safely at home" through technology and maintaining autonomy in the face of cognitive or operational decline.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • Greater emphasis on older adults' active participation and creativity in the design process, highlighting the need for technology designs to meet personalized solutions based on values and individual needs.
  • Proposed core value attributes for technology design: simplicity (ease of use), positive feedback, proactivity (prompts and reminders), and functional integration.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Older adults generally held positive attitudes toward the VR, AI, and smart home devices they experienced, offering many insightful suggestions.
  • During the design phase, participants demonstrated strong innovation willingness, assigning practical application value to technologies in specific contexts.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations:
    • Participants were primarily healthy older adults living independently, with a limited sample size that may not be broadly applicable to other living conditions (e.g., older adults requiring nursing home care).
    • The study was conducted in urban areas of Australia, making it challenging to generalize findings to other cultures or regions.
  • Future Research Directions:
    • Expand sample diversity to include individuals with varying cognitive functions and limited technological experience.
    • Investigate the practical feasibility of technology design concepts, balancing innovation with practicality.
    • Explore better integration of social interaction functions into technological systems (e.g., IoT) for holistic design.