User-Centred Approach to Design an Online Social Support Platform for Seniors : Identification of Users' Types and Their Requirements.

A well-designed social platform has the potential to reduce senior isolation and promote active ageing. However, to design tools that respond to the user need it is important to understand what types of seniors will use it and what are their needs. Through a user-oriented approach at several design stage: focus group, co-creation and usability test we were able to identify the different roles related to the use of the platform, which allowed us to classify them by type, each type having very specific needs. Among the types of users identified, "Active users" are looking for an efficient platform. "Socialiser users" are more passive and mainly interested to participate in activities and are sensitive to trust. "Low skilled users" have limited digital skills and must be accompanied to start with the platform. Finally, "Sporadic users" lack of time to actively use the platform but would use a platform involving a large number of stakeholders. It is important to include all these different types of users in the design phase to ensure the future success of the social platform.

Active Involvement of People with Dementia: A Systematic Review of Studies Developing Supportive Technologies.

Although there are promising benefits of supportive technology in dementia care, use of these technologies is still limited. It is challenging for researchers and developers in this field to actively involve people with dementia in development. This review updates and builds on existing knowledge by including a contemporary and relevant perspective. This perspective was gained by including search words and search databases from the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Design, as these fields were expected to supply novel insights in the complex task of actively involving people with dementia in developing supportive technologies. A total of 49 out of 3456 studies were included which describe the development of a great variety of technologies. Often people with dementia were involved in the generative or evaluative phase of the development. Interviews and observations were most commonly used methods. In seven articles the people with dementia were co-designers. This literature review reflects that people with dementia can influence the development of technology in regards to content, design, and even the initial idea, although the impact on how they experience their own involvement remains largely unknown. There is a lack of specific knowledge on appropriate methods and materials for active involvement of people with dementia in supportive technology development, even when including articles from the field of HCI and Design. Future research is needed to further appreciate and improve the desired role of people with dementia in meaningful technology development.

Designing an Online Social Support Platform Through Co-Creation with Seniors.

The high number of seniors that feels excluded of society highlights the necessity to promote active ageing. This intention can be supported through online platforms that encourage participation in social activities. The goal of the present study was to identify design principles of online support platforms for seniors through focus groups and to ideate the platform through co-creation sessions. The results show that a social platform for seniors must, among other, help to foster contact between users, and must provide services and meaningful activities. A first mock-up of the platform's design has been created based on the co-creation sessions and will be iteratively evaluated and enhanced in future studies in four countries across Europe. Our findings are in line with those of other studies demonstrating that seniors attach importance to trustworthiness and need to maintain social ties.