Hverdagskontekst som designkontekst - Lev Vel

ABSTRACT
The focus of this thesis is on elderly people as cocreators
in development of a lifestorytool based on
their everyday context. The research question is:
How can we, based on elderly’s everyday context
involve them as co-creators in the design of a
lifestorytool?
I have identified that elderly have a valuable life
story that is requested by nursing homes because
the life stories give insight into the whole person
and thereby resources and understanding of the
elderly reactions. The identification is based on
an observation of a workshop for nursing home
staff and an interview with a leading development
nurse and literature review. With an idea to make
the life story more nuanced and vibrant by using
technology, this project focuses on the early
innovation process and involving a small group of
elderly as co-creators.
Inspired by contextual approaches such as
contextual design and living lab, all design
meetings in this case are located in the homes
of the elderly or in the Day centre Tværbommen
where they spend some of their days.
By this case based Participatory Design process I
study two main concerns. First I study the value
of the lifestorytool and how it supports the dialog
between two people or more and second I study
the complexity of an everyday context as design
context.
The lifestorytool is designed as a handheld touch
screen that makes it possible to take pictures,
record video and audio of own personal stories
and then share them with fellow human beings or
oneself.
The value of a lifestorytool
By analysing video recordings of the social
interaction in two Wizard of Oz setups I have
observed the experience of using the lifestorytool.
My observation has shown that the tool gives the
elderly the opportunity to give a more nuanced
narrative of one self than by a form, which is
done in writing, because the life-story gets
more personal and sensuous. The lifestorytool
influences the way stories are shared, and appeals
to the curiosity of the one that experiences the
narrative so that they ask about topics related to
the narrative that again encourages face-to-face
dialogue.
Everyday context as design setting
By analysing the everyday context as design setting
I argue that this design context is complex and is
an interaction between the physical environment,
human relations and design materials and contains
both advantages and challenges.
The advantages identified in this cases study are
in terms of understanding the context of use and
the elderly as users and trust between us as actors
in the design development and the ability to use
the elderly personal objects to support the telling
and the ability of the elderly to see themselves as
users of the lifestorytool in current life stage.
The challenges are in form of scheduling design
activities, the restriction on creativity by the
realistic physical surroundings and limited ability
to have multiple stakeholders in the elderly’ home.
Everyday context as design context in a
democratic design process
By discussing with Ehn’s participatory design
philosophy I show what consequences everyday
context has in a pursuit after a democratic design
process.
My main point is that there is still a need to
develop methods based on the user’s everyday
context, as there still are differences presented in
the contextual approaches used in participatory
design. Everyday context can be viewed as a step
closer towards a democratic design process and
I therefore call for more discussion and focus on
contextual methodology in participatory design.
5