Technology and Aging: the Jigsaw Puzzle of Design, Development, and Distribution
by Adam Felts
AgeLab Research Scientist Chaiwoo Lee published a commentary in Nature Aging on the development, adoption, and use of technologies designed for older adults.
There are many stories of product failures for technologies that were expressly designed for older users. Yet in surveys and other research, older adults express that they are active users of technology and willing to adopt new products that they believe will be helpful to them. Designers and researchers may need to reconsider how they conceptualize what motivates technology adoption in order to facilitate greater uptake among older adults for their products and services. Dr. Lee observes, "Design efforts and research have been centered around the needs of physical health, safety and simplicity, and older adults have often been categorized as a single user group without a full description of the social settings and environments in which technology products and services may be used."
Read Dr. Lee's full commentary here.
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