Value-based design for the elderly: An application in the field of mobility aids

ABSTRACT

In the aging society, the need for the elderly to remain mobile and independent is higher than ever. However, many aids supporting mobility often fail to target real needs and lack acceptance. The aim of this study is to demonstrate how value-based design can contribute to the design of mobility aids that address real needs and thus, lead to high acceptance. We elicited values, facilitators, and barriers of mobility of older adults via ten in-depth interviews. Next, we held co-creation sessions, resulting in several designs of innovative mobility aids, which were evaluated for acceptance via nine in-depth interviews. The interviews resulted in a myriad of key values, such as “independence from family” and “doing their own groceries.” Design sessions resulted in three designs for a wheeled walker. Their acceptance was rather low. Current mobility device users were more eager to accept the designs than non-users. The value-based approach offers designers a close look into the lives of the elderly, thereby opening up a wide range of innovation possibilities that better fit their actual needs. Product service systems seem to be a promising focus for targeting human needs in mobility device design.

KEYWORDS:

• acceptance
• assessment
• mind maps
• mobility
• older adults
• usefulness
• values
• wheeled mobility aids

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Acknowledgments

We thank Trivium Meulenbelt Zorg, a Dutch homecare institute, for their input in the sessions and recruitment of the elderly participants; we thank Indes, the Netherlands, for their input in the sessions and their designs; we thank all elderly participants for their participation; and finally, we thank Kayleigh Bood, Myrthe Collard and Tessa de Visser for their contribution to the data gathering and analyses.

Funding

This research was funded within the Creative Industry Scientific Programme (CRISP). CRISP is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded within the Creative Industry Scientific Programme (CRISP). CRISP is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science.