Designing consumer electronics for the growing baby boomer population is far from a novel concept. Unfortunately though, attempts to innovate in this area all to often result in overly simplified products that lack in utility and patronize this demographic. How can we craft designs that are accessible without reinforcing stigmas and stereotypes in the process?
In a project sponsored by Samsung, I’ve been given the opportunity to lead a team of product and interaction designers to help understand and respond to this challenging question. Thus far, our experimental qualitative approach has seen us spending afternoons inside electronics stores demystifying the cellphone purchasing process, becoming self-appointed experts at air traffic control to understand complex communication flows, and conducting role-playing exercises in the studio to build empathy within the team. As we move into the convergent phases of our project, we are using these insights to map opportunities and generate ideas to challenge the fruitless “design for old people” convention.
More to come soon…