In our last class of Softness of Things, we discussed design for the other 90%, namely creating technological solutions for challenges in the developing nations. After all, it is a particularly challenging niche requiring not only an understanding of said challenges but also the creation of solutions durable enough to survive outside of a padded leather case and using materials that are both effective and are not prohibitively expensive. The core focus is that, while charity is kind, no one values something so much as an object that they financially invested in themselves. In fact there is money in them thar’ hills for designers and entrepreneurs sufficiently empathetic and inspired to conceive of feasible solutions.
Having said that, Despina also mentioned in passing another demographic that I was particularly intrigued by, the elderly. There are many products designed for the elderly but much of them are simplistic extrapolations of preexisting solutions. In terms of technology, this results in childish contraptions: big plastic boxes with push button keys. Such objects threaten one aspect of living so critical to many of the senior members of my family, dignity.
Closeup for the two part pattern of the master mold.So, I wanted to re-explore an interface that is critical to basic living today but, I feel, lacks the consideration of dignity in its redesign for senior consumers: telephones. Currently, most telephones designed for the elderly are either impractical or look like they belong in a nursery.
I remember talking with an aunt about one of my particularly dear relatives, Zara. Zara took care of me when I was a little baby and has always been an important person in my life. But, as everyone tends to do, she is getting older and her eyesight is not what it used to be. One of her daughters mentioned that all Zara really needs from a phone is a device with three reprogrammed buttons. All the features that current phones offer are not necessary. And, while I do not pretend that 3 is the universal number of contacts that every individual needs to be able to access, it did give me an idea. What about designing an interface centered around preprogrammed buttons. Rather than the speed dial solution incorporated into the number keys, with clearly doesn’t work for everyone, what about a modular calling device that allowed the user to press a button with the picture of the person they were calling rather than dealing with the abstractions of a phone number.
Antique telephone replecation with wooden base.But how to present this in a form that is not degrading to the user. How can the phone reflect the dignity justly deserved by everyon? What if, rather than resorting to plastic, as all the companies I have observed do, I designed with a different, more comfortable material. I cannot think of a more dignified material than wood, for this context. The components are housed in a material that speaks to the value of age, as each year makes the tree grow taller and thicker. I also speaks to a classic antique aesthetic which I have observed in many of my older relatives homes.
The actual form of the device I see as being completely contrary to the classic telephone design. I view this piece as more of a decorative piece of furniture with built in functionality rather than a dedicated technological deice. It is something that any individual could enjoy as simple pictorial display of the people he or she cares for and interacts with based on the frequency of calls. While the piece also offers a traditional keypad and voice recognition that can also be programmed for calling, the allure is in the tactile sensation of touching the person’s picture and being able to speak with them.
Current Resources:
Telephone Design For Elderly People
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