New Perspectives on User Participation in Technology Design Processes: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Technologies can enable older adults to participate in social life. These technologies need to be designed so that their benefits are obvious and older users are willing and able to use them. Although user participation has gained importance, participants are frequently not representative of the diversity of potential user groups, so that actual requirements are often not met. Thus, digital inequalities may increase. This problem arose at the beginning of an interdisciplinary research project to design a digital district platform that was to be codesigned with older residents. Here we report an approach to participatory development that takes into account the requirements of older adults, in diverse life situations.

We performed a cluster analysis using data (N = 962) from a representative survey in the case study region. We then conducted semi-structured interviews with residents, as representatives of the different clusters, to explore their life situations and everyday lifestyles. We applied a case-related analysis.

We identified nine life-situation clusters and conducted nine interviews with residents representing them. In an interdisciplinary team, we subsequently developed suggestions for possible technical solutions, based on the respective life situation, everyday life, habits, and challenges of each case.

Although the process was time consuming, we were able to incorporate perspectives of heterogeneous life situations into the digital platform development. This approach, which raises awareness of user-centered requirements, could lead to more apposite and beneficial solutions-especially for those who are underprivileged. Nevertheless, additional strategies to overcome digital inequalities are essential.