The Role of ICT Tools through a Community Program Co-creation in a Japanese Aging Community

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges: The study highlights that while the global elderly population is steadily increasing and substantial research has been conducted on improving digital skills for older adults, there remains a significant gap in understanding the complexities of their use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools in community activities, particularly for fostering community development. Additionally, due to differences in cultural backgrounds and levels of technological familiarity, community members exhibit varying preferences in ICT tool usage, posing challenges for collaboration and long-term project sustainability.
• Significance: In a rapidly aging society (e.g., Japan), creating supportive community environments through technology not only reduces feelings of isolation but also enhances the quality of life for older adults. These objectives hold substantial importance for community design and the social impact of technology.
• Research Motivation and Related Work: This study explores the role of ICT tools in collaboration and sustainable development within aging communities in Japan through the development of a community garden project. It specifically focuses on the collaborative network dimension of service design and the trend of gradually digitizing participatory design.

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Methods or Solutions:

  1. The authors adopted a co-creation approach to develop the community garden project, integrating physical touchpoints with ICT tools for communication.
  2. They employed a collaborative network approach within the service design framework to map various stakeholders in the community and their interaction relationships.
  3. The project promoted cross-organizational collaboration and maintained operations through a hybrid of face-to-face and digital interactions.

• Innovative Aspects:

  • ICT Adaptability: The study delves into how stakeholders utilize and select ICT tools for communication, providing insights into the logic behind tool selection within cultural and technological contexts.
  • New Paradigm in Service Design: By emphasizing the collaborative network dimension, the study extends the traditional user experience focus of service design, offering a more integrated perspective on ecosystems and resource integration.
  • Cultural Sensitivity: The study addresses Japan's "Galapagos Syndrome" by designing technology application cases that respect the social and cultural complexities underlying technology use.

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  • Research and Role Definition: This involved field observations, interviews, surveys, and informal exchanges with stakeholders to uncover the needs and interests of community members.
  • Joint Proposal Development: ICT tools (e.g., text messages, faxes, emails) were used to communicate and clarify the community garden plan, with face-to-face meetings ensuring information symmetry.
  • Implementation and Maintenance: The project was executed using hybrid communication methods, such as text message confirmations, LINE for sharing photos, and fax for placing orders, supplemented by follow-up face-to-face maintenance meetings.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Outcomes:

  1. Academically, the study demonstrated how ICT can facilitate coordination and knowledge sharing in aging community projects.
  2. Practically, the community garden was successfully co-created and sustainably maintained.
  3. Community members and organizations achieved team collaboration by establishing phone contact lists and communication tools.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • This solution integrates emerging ICT tools (e.g., smartphones and messaging apps) while retaining traditional technologies (e.g., fax machines and flip phones) to accommodate diverse user needs.
  • It emphasizes the deep integration of technology with social dynamics through the collaborative network perspective in service design, rather than relying solely on technology-driven solutions.
  • It carefully considers the nuanced relationship between cultural context and technology acceptance and preferences.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • The study revealed the efficiency of different ICT tools, such as using text messages for scheduling meetings, LINE for sharing photos, and fax machines for placing orders.
  • Field observations highlighted the irreplaceable role of face-to-face interactions in building trust and discussing complex issues, while digital tools enhanced communication convenience.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations: In the later stages of project maintenance, the loss of key community leaders (e.g., the initial "plant expert") led to a decline in motivation, indicating the need to strengthen leadership training and succession mechanisms for community projects.
  • Future Directions: Consider designing inclusive and culturally sensitive technological solutions in multicultural contexts to further support similar community projects, while exploring more integrated applications of digital tools and face-to-face interactions.

In summary, this study addresses the academic question of how ICT tools can effectively support collaboration and sustainable development in aging communities from a culturally sensitive perspective. It provides new insights and practical guidance for the design of future community projects.