Engaging with older users

Alan Newell & Maggie MorganQueen Mother Research Centre

School of Computing University of Dundee

Scotland &MM Training, Dundee

“Design and the Digital Divide”

Insights from 40 years research

into computer support for

older and disabled people 

Alan Newell Published by Morgan and Claypool

Summer 2011

Maggie MorganMM Training

Script writer – theatre director

Leverhulme Artist in Residence,

in the School of Computing -2005/2006

Continuing freelance involvement in the research, and conference

presentations

Technology for older people

Needs to be based on:

• Effective communication with the user group,

• Proper requirements gathering,

• Usability and Beauty.

Developing technology for older people

Study your

user population

Design your systems

to respond to their

needs and wants

What they need ?

• A medical model of “cure”

• A focus on the disability

• Patronising design

• Poor aesthetics

• Ignorance of any wider context

What they want !

• A focus on the person

• Their emotional as well as physical needs

• Aesthetics

• Self image

• Personality

Empathetic Design

Design for what

older users

want

- or might want

A primary focus on users

Mutual inspiration – users and researchers in a creative mode

Innovative ways of interacting with users

Real empathy with users

See:

www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/staff/afn

The challenges of communicating with users

• Language and experience barriers- jargon, concepts & metaphors

• Sensory impairments• Lack of trust in technology

• Overriding desire to please

• Keeping focus groups focused

• Time consuming

• Difficult to organize

Ethical issues

• Negative self image• Lack of confidence • Self blame• Operational anxiety • Physical or mental fragility• Informed consent

A user centre

For a cohort of over 200 individuals risingto over 3000

Also work in:Dementia day centres, Residential homes & In home studies.

Wolfson Research Studio Theatre

Purpose designed forinteractive theatre

The use of theatre for:

• Facilitating Focus Groups of users– Requirements gathering

• Communicating to designers and other professionals – User characteristics – User experiences – Ethnographies

Working with theatre professionals

• Research by script writer – iterative discussions with researchers

and older users.

• Dramatic scenarios developed.

• Scenarios performed by professional actors, on video or live theatre.

• Facilitated discussions.

The performance

• Video scenario + facilitated discussion.

• Video scenario + actors in role in

facilitated discussion.

• Live interactive theatre

Techniques

• Audience asked to analyse actions and motivations of players

• “Hot seating”

• Scripted theatre followed by improvisations directed by the audience

Educational Videos

“The UTOPIA Trilogy”

“Relative Confusion”, “Relatively PC”, and others

See:

www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/staff/afn

Concept development

Applications of digital interactive television for older people.

A communication system

Advantages for users.

• Users are engaged in creative activity.

• Theatre liberates users to be creative

• Suspension of disbelief– Future software– The context/environment of use