title: Involving Older Adults in the Technology Design Process: A Case Study on Mobility and Wellbeing in the Built Environment.
abstract: Older adults benefit from unstructured, lifestyle-based activity that can be carried out in people's houses, neighbourhoods, and the built environment. Technological solutions may support physical activity and encourage wellbeing. To ensure such technology is suitable for, and usable by, older adults, it is crucial they are involved in all stages of design. Participatory design methodologies facilitate collaboration and engagement with potential users. We examine the suitability of participatory design for collaborating and engaging with older adults. Participatory design workshops were conducted with 33 older adults in the UK with the aim of designing mobile applications to support and promote physical activity and wellbeing in the built environment. As well as summarising the outcome of these workshops, the paper outlines several methodological issues relating to the suitability of participatory design for involving older adults in the technology design process.
authors.affiliation: Human Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of York, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swallow
authors.affiliation: Human Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of York, UK.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petrie
authors.affiliation: Human Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of York, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: Human Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of York, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Human Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of York, UK.
authors.forename: Alistair D N
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003256:Community Participation; D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D006113:United Kingdom