Ageing, elderly and designAgeing, elderly and designITU, Köpenhamn, 071108ITU, Köpenhamn, 071108

Bodil JönssonBodil Jönsson, professor of rehab eng, , professor of rehab eng,

CertecCertec, LTH, LTH

Today, many old people don’t Today, many old people don’t recognize themselves as recognize themselves as members of the group of ”the members of the group of ”the elderly”.elderly”.

And we, born in the 1940:s, And we, born in the 1940:s, we do not understand we do not understand anything – this is absolutely anything – this is absolutely notnot about us about us

Precisely this is why it is Precisely this is why it is exciting to work with ”Elderly exciting to work with ”Elderly and design”and design”

With the possible With the possible effectseffects

With a With a directiondirection

At least in the Swedish context At least in the Swedish context right now, there are two right now, there are two obvious pitfalls:obvious pitfalls:

The one is about the elderly as The one is about the elderly as just another new consumption just another new consumption group to exploit…group to exploit…

Without the necessary Without the necessary insight that this is about insight that this is about people with people with their their experiences and experiences and their their expectations. expectations.

The annual rings and the The annual rings and the interaction between the interaction between the annual rings make a annual rings make a huge huge difference. difference.

A senior is not just A senior is not just older. She is also older. She is also younger…younger…

The earlier ego:s are stillThe earlier ego:s are stillthere. Inside. there. Inside. And of course, one has And of course, one has the expectations to be able the expectations to be able to catch the interconnections to catch the interconnections and the interrelationships and the interrelationships between the new artifacts andbetween the new artifacts andtechnology and the material technology and the material worlds experienced in the past.worlds experienced in the past.

The second pitfall is the The second pitfall is the image of an abstract image of an abstract elderly-wave for the elderly-wave for the younger to carry and to get younger to carry and to get borne down by…borne down by…

I. e. ”Warning for the I. e. ”Warning for the elderly”elderly” – but is such a – but is such a foolish time spirit worth foolish time spirit worth any notice?!any notice?!Yes, it is – because it Yes, it is – because it

might be self fulfilling. might be self fulfilling.

Entire systems of Entire systems of thought thought infrastructureinfrastructure might distort might distort the attention. the attention.

And TTT, Thoughts Take And TTT, Thoughts Take Time!Time!Nothing steers a Nothing steers a development as ruthless as development as ruthless as the infrastructure of the the infrastructure of the thoughtsthoughtsThus, changes in the thought Thus, changes in the thought

infrastructure have a strong infrastructure have a strong potential to potential to

influence the future. influence the future.

But you have to exercise your But you have to exercise your world of imagination and its world of imagination and its relevancy and compare it with relevancy and compare it with the end users’ experienced the end users’ experienced

needs, wishes and dreams.needs, wishes and dreams.

After all, an aging society After all, an aging society is nothing but a marvellous is nothing but a marvellous success story – and it success story – and it continues to develop. continues to develop. What about 130 years as What about 130 years as life expectancy? life expectancy?

Medical and social and Medical and social and technological technological advancements influence advancements influence life expectancylife expectancyBut if you examine But if you examine what what kind of life, kind of life, what what

happiness, happiness, what what dignity, then the influence of dignity, then the influence of the design of the everyday world around us the design of the everyday world around us gets obvious. It is the experienced world from gets obvious. It is the experienced world from the inside that makes a difference, the inside that makes a difference, not not as in the figure as in the figure the separate factors the separate factors

applied from the outside.applied from the outside.

This is more about the This is more about the active and acting individual active and acting individual than the observed or than the observed or treated. And it is not the treated. And it is not the technology per se that technology per se that makes the difference but makes the difference but the technology-in-use. the technology-in-use.

The The artifacts artifacts play a much play a much more important role than more important role than is usually thought of.is usually thought of.

Human – Nonhuman – Human. Human – Nonhuman – Human. Human – Human – Nonhuman. Human – Human – Nonhuman. Artifact-Nonartifact-Artifact…Artifact-Nonartifact-Artifact…

Your perception of other Your perception of other humans humans and and systems systems and and technology ought to have technology ought to have much in common.much in common.

But to be active (in one’s But to be active (in one’s own way) as old is not own way) as old is not necessarily the same as necessarily the same as to be active as young…to be active as young…

To have the right to reflect upon To have the right to reflect upon one’s one’s

life?life?

You can not be sure that You can not be sure that everyoneeveryone wants to have a wants to have a supportsupport for the memory when for the memory when the memory fails? Neither an the memory fails? Neither an enhancement of the planning enhancement of the planning

ability. Etc.ability. Etc.

Also the reversed questions Also the reversed questions ought to be asked:ought to be asked:

What if you in your 90:s get What if you in your 90:s get into the ZPD for developinginto the ZPD for developingthe new skill to be the new skill to be calm and calm and relaxed relaxed in a way that you have in a way that you have never been able to before. never been able to before. What about design aiming What about design aiming at supporting the at supporting the learning process for learning process for this new skill?this new skill?

What about design for What about design for processes in the processes in the NOW NOW for for people with dementia? people with dementia?

What about eliminating What about eliminating as many frightening as many frightening sounds as possible? Hair sounds as possible? Hair dryers ans stylers …dryers ans stylers …

Many possibilities:Many possibilities:

Change to another more silent Change to another more silent hair dryerhair dryer

Or start considering the whole Or start considering the whole sound environment?sound environment?

You might make it a You might make it a principle principle to design for a sound to design for a sound environment as free from environment as free from unexpected noises as possible. unexpected noises as possible.

Cf the report ”Visa vid Cf the report ”Visa vid Vigs ängar, en rapport Vigs ängar, en rapport från ett äldreboende från ett äldreboende med själ” med själ” by the young by the young industrial designer industrial designer Anna Persson.Anna Persson.In only 3 monthsIn only 3 monthsshe could catchshe could catchboth some details both some details and someand somepreliminar principlespreliminar principles

She brought areas She brought areas together:together:

From parasols to From parasols to support for the legs:support for the legs:

Everyday pictures on Everyday pictures on sustainable material, for sustainable material, for instance textiles? instance textiles?

Passive exercises Passive exercises (vibration) for better (vibration) for better muscle functions?muscle functions?

Please go to Äldre och Please go to Äldre och design to find out more design to find out more about what we have done about what we have done and do aroundand do around

macula degenerationmacula degenerationfurnitures and interiorsfurnitures and interiorsuntraditional TV-usageuntraditional TV-usagepictures as communication pictures as communication toolstoolsVR as exercising toolsVR as exercising tools

……

You will find not only You will find not only parrots but also parrots but also cameleont solutions. And cameleont solutions. And some real core (poodle) some real core (poodle) solutions. solutions. Surely, we make a lot of Surely, we make a lot of

mistakes – but we think mistakes – but we think

we avoid the very worst we avoid the very worst

through a tight interaction through a tight interaction

with old people themselves, with old people themselves,

all the time. all the time.

If not, you might like Rousseau If not, you might like Rousseau make the mistake to believe that make the mistake to believe that ”In the realm of the blind people, ”In the realm of the blind people, the one-eyed is the king”the one-eyed is the king”

Finally, we search for Finally, we search for consequenciesconsequencies of knowledge as of knowledge as much as we search for the much as we search for the knowledge itself. knowledge itself.

So let me end this short introduction So let me end this short introduction through through

telling you about Carin Boalt:telling you about Carin Boalt:

””After all I have After all I have never:never:…”…”

””Neither Neither have I have I ever:…”ever:…”

””But I have But I have always:…”always:…”