DESIGN FOR THE ELDERLY: AN IMMERSIVE HUMAN DIGNITY EXPERIENCE FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • Various population groups present conditions that require special considerations in the design process, such as the elderly. The present research focuses on developing and implementing a structured design process for this group, which is divided into four stages: research, conceptual design, detailed design, and implementation. The methodology was implemented in a sample of two student groups (31 students total) studying Product Design in their sixth semester at Tecnologico de Monterrey. They developed 14 product design projects for a nursing home in Monterrey, Mexico. The students visited the nursing home during the course, identifying problems through observation and interviews with the residents and their caregivers. At the end of the course, the students responded to a survey-type instrument to evaluate the impact of the model on their educational experience. The students positively assessed the nursing home personnel's participation in the project's development, emphasising its importance during the research. However, the students recognised the differences between this design process and previous experiences in Design courses. The impact of project development transcends practical aspects. Working with older people implies deepening empathy, comprehending their vulnerability, and preserving their human dignity as they depend on others. Ultimately, it was possible to determine that the design process proposed in this research facilitates developing products that meet real user needs that would tend to go unnoticed. © 2024 Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Rise of the Machines: Design Education in the Generative AI Era, E and PDE 2024. All rights reserved.

publication date

  • January 1, 2024