ABSTRACT
A psycho-social market analysis identified 18 separate segments distinguishing consumers in terms of factors such as demographics, social-economic status and attitudes and values. Thinking of “older people” as if they are a single group is not sufficient if we are to create products and services that will connect with users both practically and emotionally. Designing for an aging population has become established as a key area of practice and research within design and related disciplines. However, as well as designing products so that they fit people’s physical and cognitive characteristics, it is also important to design products that connect with people emotionally. A study carried out by the Contemporary Trends Institute created a segmentation of users based on a number of psycho-social variables. A challenge with respect to this group is to create products and services that are designed in such a way that they help them to live as independently as possible.
