VITAL

Emelie Hedén

 
In today’s society technology is a given element. Many of us cannot imagine a world without Google, Skype, or Facebook and it is more common to search for information on the web than in books. Hanging out in virtual worlds is widely accepted and almost as common as ordinary get-togethers. This kind of behaviour is not embraced by everyone and especially not the elderly who often feel slighted. One lady explained how annoying it is to listen to people on television advising the viewers to find more information on the
web. Consequently without a computer, an important tool that allows the user to experience the big world out there without having to leave home, people become excluded.

This master project is about quality of life in old age and focuses on making elderly people feel empowered and more involved in modern society. When doing so, three areas are particularly crucial for a successful outcome. The first is physical abilities, the second a sense of belonging and the third availability
of activities.

Vital is a quality of life product range developed primarily for elderly people and includes a laptop, a telephone, a scale, a blood pressure meter and a pedometer. With the telephone connected to the laptop, seniors can easily keep in touch with their family and friends. With the blood pressure meter and the scale, they can accomplish simple health checks at home. All information is directly transferred to the computer where a good status overview is provided.

Vital has a clear and straightforward design language in order to create a motivating and inspiring design. All of the products are constructed from the same main material and have colour accents to enable intuitive usage. Each product has an individual colour and a matching symbol to further guide the user. The hardware interface of the laptop is simplified and the keys are redone to be intelligible for a first time user.

Vital is about overcoming reluctance to technology and triggering motivation to explore a new world full of possibilities.

     
  

Even bigger pictures

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Uppmärksammat i pressen/på webben:

 Idé: Dator för äldre personer
     IDG.se 2008-10-13
 En förenklad dator kan underlätta för äldre
     it i vården.idg.se 2008-10-13
 Pressmeddelande Teknik  
     LU 2008-10-13 
 Lundastudent byggde enklare dator för äldre   
     Kvällsposten 2008-10-15

  

Examensarbete 2008

 

• Utskriftsversion