Designing for an Aging Population
Two weeks ago, our team attended their first design festival abroad - the Clerkenwell Design Week, hailed as the UK's leading design festival! There, we got to meet design practitioners, businesses and industry leading experts. But between the showroom launches, product showcases and tours, one talk stood out in particular.
Heading over to Blum Group 's showroom on a rainy Wednesday morning, we got to sit down and listen to Amanda Hughes and an aging panel of experts talk about Aging and It's Impact in the Built Environment - an issue that has dominated conversations here in Singapore. The discussion revolved around ergonomics, dementia and improving the quality of future living spaces.
"Aging is just another word for living."
It got us thinking about how we as interior designers, product designers and architects approach problems highlighted by older people. Do we 'other' them too much? Do we create new products to bridge the need gap, when they already exist and simply need a closer look and some fine tuning? As addressed by Amanda, do designers shirk off this societal commitment, since we are not doctors, nutritionists or nurses?
The solutions presented by the panelists was indeed quite thought provoking. With current technology and the average lifespan of both men and women steadily increase, it's important to think about the quality of life, instead of just the length of a life. Here's what we gathered and summarised from the panel discussion:
Don't 'Other' Your Target Audience
As designers creating spaces for an aging population, we should be thinking of ways to include older people into current spaces, rather than creating and segregating them into new ones. Think adapted and accessible designs.
Better Design Benefits Everyone
The needs and problems of older people are not unique to their age group. Oftentimes, physical and cognitive disabilities affect multiple age groups depending on life experiences. For example, round edged furniture not only benefit older people prone to accidents, but also toddlers and young children running around. More inclusive designs help to include more generations in one space, making sure that no one is left out of spaces they want to be in.
It Doesn't Have To Look Bad
Another point raised by the panelists was the importance of future-proofing your designs. An example of not future-proofing is the unaesthetic additions of handrails in bathrooms and corridors when the homeowner encounters an accident or health issue that physically impairs them. Given that no one person stays the same physically able for their whole life, thinking ahead might even give way to even more innovative plans. This gives us the chance to get creative with permanent features! A towel rack could double up as a handrail, and cushioned vinyls make good looking anti slip floors. The possibilities are endless if only we think beyond getting the job completed.
Listen To Your Client
Designers often find themselves guilty of prioritizing form over function, which often become obsolete when the client grows older or become physically impaired. The key is to try to have balance between the two, and of course take time to listen more about the needs and current conditions of your client. Home improvement projects are costly, and no one wants to be prematurely removed from their lovely homes just because it doesn't meet their needs.
We hope you found this article informational. Share it with a designer you feel might need this!
