Design ideas for the elderlies
International Design
Opportunity (i-do)
CLIENT /
MTR Mall, Kowloon Park Organization
USERS /
Elderlies in Hong Kong
ROLE /
Research, Ideas & Concepts
The i-do project brought design teams from different countries together for a six-week long workshop focused on research, design, and concepts for overcoming issues with ‘Aging in the city’.
For Hong Kong, it is projected that 22% of the total population will be 60+ by 2030. In the densely populated environment of Hong Kong, this change in demography has been causing a declining labor force, shrinking family size and rising elderly dependency ratio.
VIMODI USE CASES - Change the way you communicate
Cross-cultural design participants at the camp
i-do held two workshops to deliver design solutions to 'Aging in the city' of HK
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Elder-preneurship: Design For Your Future Selves for MTR mall
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Active Aging, Public Design for Kowloon Park
My Responsibilities
As a Project Leader I:
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Worked and managed a multi-disciplinary team of students from various renowned design schools around the world.
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Presented design ideas on ‘Aging in the City’ to a large international audience at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design and the World Design Summer Camp in Southern China.
Presenting Public Design Ideas for Kowloon Park at WDSC
1. Elder-preneurship: Design For Your Future Selves for MTR mall
Vision
In Hong Kong, shopping malls are built to suit all tastes. It is a destination frequently visited by locals and international visitors of all age groups. MTR mall organization was seeking ideas to encourage older people to actively engage in the community and have a role to play in social innovation and entrepreneurship. They wanted to let the elderlies feel as though the mall is theirs by organizing activities in the mall which can initiate social interaction.
The requirement was to come up with ideas to:
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Help remove generation barriers between the young and the old.
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Produce ideas that are better for everyone regardless of their age.
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Create new business ventures for elderlies.
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Enable elderlies to enjoy a more independent life.
Research
As a participant in the i-do workshop, we were assigned to conduct research and address vital issues of aging in the city from a designer’s perspective.
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As a team, we took an approach to embrace the concept of peer-to-peer exchange.
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Instead of seeing our life expert (user) as the subject of research, we involved them as participants, as commentators, evaluators and even instigators in our design process.
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We saw an interesting opportunity in bringing older and younger people in touch.
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Our research showed that intergenerational connectedness had a lot to offer to both the generations.
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The elderlies have a lifetime of experience and wisdom to share which the community could take in.
System Mapping
Shadowing - User Observation
Assembling and presenting collected data
Card Sorting Excercise
Based on our research we combined two of our most promising insights.
On one hand, we had people who were becoming socially isolated while on the other hand, we observed that social connectivity had a positive impact on people.
Since the life experts had busy lives, we found a big opportunity in providing them with ways to stay socially connected, which would further result in a better healthy lifestyle.
Another huge arising opportunity was the fact that life experts had a lot to share with their community and that they were willing to do so. This developed an interesting opportunity for stimulating interaction between older people and youngsters.
Accomplishments
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‘Shing Chuen’ was designed to create a platform on which the elderly can showcase, sell and share their talents with the everyday people of Hong Kong.
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The goal of Shing Chuen was to enable the passing of knowledge to the next generation and enabling the extension of culture within the Hong Kong city.
CONCEPT STORYBOARD
Designed the storyboard for Shing Chuen Platform
Shing Chuen's exhibition area ideas
Inspiration
Exhibition Area
Showcase Area
Mini Shopping Area
Final Presentation
Created a Brand Identity for Shing Chuen
2. Active Aging, Public Design for Kowloon Park
Vision
Kowloon Park is a large public park in Hong Kong which hosts a vast range of flora, aviaries, various types of gardens and big well-equipped facilities.
The Kowloon Park Management wanted to encourage elderlies to visit the park more often and connect with nature to lift up their spirits and to give them a chance to relax and take peace from the natural beauty of the park through a satisfying and enjoyable experience.
Research
Since the project duration was limited to only 4 days, I along with my talented team of 4 worked directly with the local communities to gain greater perspective on the challenges, aspirations, and opportunities that exist in their day-to-day lives.
Their valuable feedback helped us to create ideas that were more relevant to a diverse population of individuals with a range of ages and abilities.
OUR OBSERVATION:
In HK, senior's life can be mundane and sometimes difficult staying at home. Most of them would love to go out in nature and experience the beauty that surrounds them. But as we age physiological changes and weakened senses make it harder to see and feel the world in a way we used to. Making the elderlies feel frustrated and sad.
Visit to Kowloon Park for user study
User Observations
Accomplishments
To help elderlies and people with similar disabilities, we tried to come up with some innovative public design solutions to let them unwind & reconnect with the park and allow them to engage with nature in a youthful, interactive and entertaining manner.
We came up with ideas to highlight simple things like the sound of flowing water or the sight of birds eating at a feeder to easily break up the daily routine and offer mental and spiritual relief for seniors.
Keeping that in mind, we focused on designing an experience to:
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Give elderlies a feeling of being connected to nature.
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Increase the excitement of seeing something new.
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Encourage interaction between people.
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Offer creative and interactive installation ideas to enhance the experience of the park.
Installing Sound Guides at various locations in the park
Installing Magnifying Lenses at various locations in the park
Installing Kaleidoscopes at various locations in the park
Installing Relaxation and Conversation areas next to the pond
