A researcher at the Royal College of Art is appealing for people to help answer questions about the problems which some older people find in using digital technologies.
By interviewing people who have difficulty using computers, mobile phones etc or are simply not keen on trying them, Emily Groves is contributing to a joint Swiss-UK project to design a digital tool to enhance social ties for older people in existing communities. The research will also be used to help improve the usability of digital products, such as websites and smartphone apps.
Anyone reading this article is by definition able to use digital technologies, but there might be factors which are holding you back from making greater use of them. Or you might have friends or relatives who find such technologies difficult or are resistant to them - and these could be the very people who are most at risk of social isolation.
Emily's appeal for help reads as follows:
Take Part in Digital Research
My name is Emily Groves and I am a researcher and designer at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art.
I am working on a project to design a digital communication service to help strengthen social ties for older people in existing communities.
I'd love to talk to people over 65 years old who have little or no experience of digital technology such as computers, email and mobile phones.
I'm looking to use your ideas and opinions about communication to inform the design of the final product.
If you would like some more information, or if you are interested in doing a short interview with me at a time and place to suit you, please give me a ring on 07731 501 146.
