Design de interação semioparticipativo por pessoas idosas: empatia e engajamento na produção de tecnologia digital.

Abstract

The growing population of older people around the world demands solutions for healthy and active ageing. Digital technologies offer significant potential in this regard, but often fail to meet the needs of the elderly. Encouraging older people to design computer technologies through open and participatory interaction design perspectives has proved to be a possible solution. However, engaging older people in this participatory process and making them design partners is still challenging. Most studies based on participatory practices do not establish the engagement of potential users, especially in relation to older people. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate and develop techniques for engaging older people in the design of digital technologies through a semio-participatory process of interaction (co)design, establishing empathy as a fundamental element of engagement. Firstly, an engagement model was developed to integrate the elements and variables of this model into a semio-participatory process. From this perspective, two case studies were carried out, one face-to-face and the other remote, using a qualitative approach with elderly women. The results of the content analysis show the potential of the elements and variables to improve older people’s engagement. In addition, a practical guide was drawn up highlighting techniques, activities and strategies to make the interaction (co)design process more accessible. These results have the potential to expand interaction codesign processes with older people and offer valuable contributions to design professionals and researchers interested in involving older people in the production of digital technologies. In addition, they provide essential epistemological elements for the development of inclusive interaction design methods, favouring the active and meaningful participation of older people in the process, valuing and considering their space of speech and their perspectives in the design and development of digital technologies that meet their needs and preferences.