I had a lovely Monday morning surprise. The July & August 2007 edition of the information and communication tech (ICT) magazine interactions--New visions of human-computer interaction was brought to my attention by a colleague. There is a special section on elder technology, and what has become one of my all-time favorite headlines: "Innovations for graying times--designing for seniors." Is that not priceless?
And not just one, this baby has eight, count 'em, eight articles, under the guidance of guest editor Jonathan Livingston from The Memory Project. Each author offers a vision of the "needs/attributes/solutions" approach to elder technology. These brilliant writers have created elegant, articulate pieces that will feed my current obsession with cross-generational tech design quite nicely.
I love being full of untapped potential.
8.06.2007
Designing for elders
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7 comments:
Untapped potential...yes, that's a good feeling. Brimming with ideas and motivation. :)
Thanks for the link to this publication.
there are increasing research in designing for elders, not just in HCI, but in the physical world too. Universal design is a growing field in human factor engineering. There are houses that are built specially for seniors. From door knob design to the toilet shape, it think it'll be great when these concept gain traction.
joared, isn't that a groovy mag? And with Ronni doing such a bang-up job at Gnomedex of getting the younger techie's attention, I'm excited about the possibilities.
Paul,
Absolutely. I attended a workshop where we were grouped by generation, and the elders' task was to come up with a description of what our ideal home would be like. The younger folks were flabbergasted that we need such different accommodations than they do. To a person, they said they had no idea of the difficulties we face, and that they were keen to investigate further. I'm very impressed by The Elders Tribune. Great idea and implementation. Thanks!
is it because i am old that it always takes me 2 or 3 times to get past the damn 'word verification' test ever time i post a comment on blogger?
since I never encountered this test when i was younger i can't say if my difficulty represents a deterioration of my skills.
bill
Bill, I can't read the dang things correctly, either. I am forever having to click the "Forgot password?" link when conducting business transactions online. The last two visits to the eye doctor convinced me it was time to get a prescription dedicated to reading a computer monitor. So far, I haven't noticed any deterioration in my cognitive skills--just structural kinks, broken bones, torn ligaments, sprains, et al. My sisters and I have made a pact to let each other know if we notice our minds slipping...
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