Knocking on elders' door: investigating the functional and emotional geography of their domestic space

The domestic environment is more than a place where to live. It is a "territory of meaning", a place where pleasure, affect and aesthetics are deeply interwoven with the functional and utilitarian dimensions. With the aging process, the home is progressively invested with new meanings and functions, and becomes the emotional center of older peoples life. This paper presents a user study based on cultural probes on how domestic spaces are managed and perceived by older adults, uncovering some of the complex interrelations among the daily activities, objects and meanings revolving around the home. The findings provide suggestions on how the dimensions of remembrance, perception of safety and environmental stability may affect the design of domestic technology for elderly people. Author Keywords Aging, Design of domestic technology, Cultural Probes. ACM Classification Keywords H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Chiara Leonardi, Claudio Mennecozzi, Elena Not, Fabio Pianesi, Massimo Zancanaro, Francesca Gennai, Antonio Cristoforetti
• Keywords: CHI 2009, Cultural Probes, Domestic Environment, Domestic Technology, Human Computer Interaction