Home, Reclaimed
Type: graduate project
Duration: 14 weeks
Focus: inclusive design, houseware
Products for aging fall short
Everyone ages, however products for aging in place are surrounded by stigma and are often very niche. A stigma exists that they are a last resort for people looking to maintain their independence. They are designed in a way that brings attention to an individual's need for physical assistance and reminds them of their losses. Often, solutions require retrofitting the home with attachments that stand out in the home.
Cognitive needs should be prioritized
The way products for aging are designed prevents them from being helpful to someone earlier in life. Products focus on the physical needs of individuals, but they don't address the cognitive issues that almost always couple with the physical. Pivoting the way we design products for aging to focus on the cognitive needs of individuals creates an opportunity for these products to be more useful to people across the lifespan. Although we might not all relate to needing physical help to navigate our home, we can all certainly relate to the desire to feel safe and secure in our home. These products shouldn't be limited to use later in life.
Underlying themes emerge
To understand the needs of the aging-in-place population, various research activities were conducted. Trips to Alick's Home Medical and Creekside Village built a foundation of knowledge about current product selections and the events that lead up to moving into a senior living community. One-on-one interviews with seniors in South Bend informed insights into the home updates needed to be able to age-in-place. Conversations with a physiatrist informed insights into the mental rework needed to become comfortable with changing ability levels.
Personalizations are common
From Connie and Larry, a couple living in South Bend, it became evident that store-bought solutions are currently not enough to support the needs of individuals who want to stay in their homes for the long term. Seniors personalize and create "hacks" to alter their home and make it work for them. After Larry suffered a stroke that left him with physical and cognitive difficulties, Connie relies on her own customizations to help Larry in their home. The love and care in each adaption is evident. The improvements target the need to feel comfortable, aware, and confident in their home.
Little things matter the most
Connie's attention to the little details in the home showed the need for improved touch points. There is a need not only to help people navigate their home, but also create a sense of safety. The switch and door handle became the focus because they are small, simple, and very common, so common that they are an afterthought an opportunity for design.
The importance of sensory feedback
As we age, our senses decline. By introducing sensory feedback into products, people will be more likely to understand and complete daily tasks. Using contour volume, and surface texture in products can improve visual recognition and precision of memory. By seeing and feeling a texture on a door handle, people can better understand what is behind each door. By noticing the differences between switches, people can better understand what each switch does.
Developing textures that improve awareness
When exploring textures, inspiration was drawn everyday objects in everyday spaces. Additionally, references were pulled from nature because of the benefits of nature on mental health. Upon further exploration, ideas for textures were refined to reflect associations to specific rooms or functions. Some textures are more literal or draw upon icons while others are more figurative. For example, ideas for the handles leading to a bedroom include using more literal imagery of pillows, moons, clouds or bedding. For the switches, figurative swirling lines are used to indicate a fan function and radial lines to indicate light.
Meaning in every touch
A door handle with interchangeable textures tells the user what is behind every door. Pictured below, the handle with water icons tells the user that the door opens to a bathroom.
Made for every space, in every home
A modular system is important, so that textures can be swapped in and out to indicate different rooms or functions. Individuals make their own associations with textures, so it is important to allow customization within these products. Moving forward, this type of design could be incorporated within different touch points in the home, and they could be made to match the aesthetic of people's home.
Never be left in the dark
Use of LED light indicators in the switch panel allows user's to see the state of the controls in their home. Using status indicators to show on/off allows users to understand what buttons they are pressing and what those buttons are connected to. These features are intended to make navigating the home more clear so that people can be more confident in their decision making.
Comfort around every corner
The concept of using sensory feedback within touch points has the potential to help people feel safe, confident and aware while navigating their home.
First year graduate installation
My work was installed in the Riley Hall Gallery at the University of Notre Dame. Final prototypes of a switch panel and door handle can be seen pictured below.
