Featured in new Tomorrow Together campaign

I was really pleased to be asked contribute a blog post to the new website, Tomorrow Together launched last week by the UK’s innovation agency, The Technology Strategy Board which is about encouraging people to talk about what they want in later life. 

According to findings released by the Technology Strategy Board, a staggering 90% of people in the UK are not looking forward to older age with concerns about health, mobility, wealth and social interaction ranking highly. Nearly half of people think that better products and services to sustain independence would change this with 79% of people wanting more innovation in products and services for older age.

As Jackie Marshall-Cyrus from The Technology Strategy Board says :”We need urgent innovation. It’s time for the talented, passionate brains of today to re-imagine and rethink for the future and work on tomorrow, together”.

In my blog I have shared some of my thoughts about how I think we go about encouraging better design for older people, drawing on my experience of running the “Designing for the Future” competition with the University of Brighton.

To read my blog post on the Tomorrow Together website CLICK HERE

Do you agree? Get involved by visiting  www.tomorrowtogether.org.uk and for those Tweeters amongst you, by following @tomorrowtogethr or the hashtag #innovateforage.

“Trip Advisor” for independent living products? Download the report

You may recall that last October I reported the launch at Naidex South by the Years Ahead Partnership and Newcastle University of a feasibility study into a scheme for rating assistive technology.

Demographic changes and pressure on public finances are leading to radical changes in the statutory provision of simple assistive technology. Simple aids for daily living – such as walking sticks, mobility aids, tools for arthritic fingers and swollen feet – are now increasingly appearing in a variety of existing and new channels. You only need to look in the small ads of the Sunday newspaper supplements.

However, there are challenges to the emerging market. Public awareness of the existence and benefits of simple living aids is low, the take up is limited by stigma and negative associations of old age and disability. And healthcare professionals are nervous about such developments – not surprisingly given the Office of Fair Trading’s recent investigation into unscrupulous traders taking advantage of ill-informed consumers.

This joint study looked into the feasibility of a consumer-led product rating system which would raise awareness, improve customer confidence, help de-stigmatise the products and offer re-assurance to professionals.

The majority of people surveyed were in favour of an online consumer rating model with a panel or accreditation system to provide further rigour. A kind of “Trip-advisor” for assistive technology and living aids.

We were one of the organisations consulted as part of the study and share Maggie Winchcombe of Years Ahead’s view that “such a scheme has a vital part to play in empowering us all as consumers of [Assistive Technology], designed to help us live our lives to the full into great old age”.

And wearing our designer hats, we believe too that such a scheme will also encourage designers, manufacturers and retailers to really focus on the consumer – and this means producing and selling products which are well designed, innovative and attractive as well as functional.

The next stage for the “Raising the Standard” team is further research and consultation about the design of the rating scheme.  We will keep you posted.

YOU CAN NOW DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE (Click on Download) 

Image  - ShowerSandal 

Tomorrow Together – join in the conversation about re-imagining the future

Something very exciting happened yesterday. I was sat around a table at the RSA in London as one of a panel of  experts talking about what it means to get older and what products and services would allow us all to do that well. And then, this is the exciting bit, how we might go about achieving that aim.

The roundtable discussion was organised to kick off a new initiative from the UK’s innovation agency, The Technology Strategy Board called Tomorrow Together which is about encouraging people to talk about what they want in later life. The panellists included Nigel Campbell and Mat Hunter from the Design Council, Geraldine Bedell, editor of Gransnet, Denise Anstey, British inventor, Stephen Burke of United for All Ages and Kevin Johnson from Cisco.

According to findings released today, a staggering 90% of people in the UK are not looking forward to older age with concerns about health, mobility, wealth and social interaction ranking highly. Nearly half of people think that better products and services to sustain independence would change this with 79% of people wanting more innovation in products and services for older age.

The good news is that what became apparent from the discussion last night was that there are already very many passionate people engaged in innovating in this area. In the UK we certainly do not lack the skills or creativity to bring forward new products and services, more it is about bringing together the people, the businesses and the institutions to work together in a more focused way. And also about persuading those who have not yet embraced the challenges and opportunities of our ageing population to get on board.

As Jackie Marshall-Cyrus from The Technology Strategy Board says :”We need urgent innovation. It’s time for the talented, passionate brains of today to re-imagine and rethink for the future and work on tomorrow, together”.

As someone who has been working for a while now with some of our most talented and passionate brains at the University of Brighton, I wholeheartedly endorse this view.

I think this is a very opportune time to launch Tomorrow Together but it will only make a difference if we all join in the conversation and discuss how we can all work together in the UK to imagine and then help create a better future

So please do get involved at www.tomorrowtogether.org.uk and for those Tweeters amongst you, by following @tomorrowtogethr or the hashtag #innovateforage.

Exciting stuff.

To read my blog post on the Tomorrow Together website CLICK HERE

Image: Displacement Jug by Sophia Fong

Design for all – by law? Nice feature on us in today’s Yours magazine

I am really pleased to see Yours magazine today engaging its readers in the debate about design for all (and not just because I am quoted with lovely photos of our double handled teapot and mug!).

Editor Valerie McConnell recounts her recent trip to her local gym where although pleasantly surprised by her results on the treadmill, she found herself wrestling with a hard to squeeze shampoo bottle. 

As Valerie says: “Do you wish everyday objects could be designed to be easy to use as well as look good?”

I think they should :”Why should age mean life has to be less attractive? “Easy to use” products can often be stigmatising, which makes them less desirable and reduces the likelihood that they will ever be used. How many abdandoned, ugly plastic “reachers litter the homes of our older people?”

There is fortunately, as Valerie points out, a growing movement towards inclusive design which means that “everything from jam jar lids to public spaces should be designed to be equally useable by everybody”.

And to encourage this movement further, Valerie goes on to pose the question – given the increasing numbers of older people and their considerable combined spending power, should all designers be forced by law to make products accessible?

This is a really good question and it will be interesting to see what Yours readers think. And how fantastic that they are being asked in the first place as innovation in this area has the potential to transform all of our lives.

West Sussex County Times features our student design competition

Nice coverage here of our “Designing for the Future” design competition with Collyer’s Sixth Form College from West Sussex County Times who have supported us since we launched. Horsham in Sussex is one of the fastest ageing populations in the UK with the number of people over 65 set to increase by an astonishing 60% between now and 2026.

Our winner, Alex Francis designed an ergonomic shopping bag handle with a clever reminder ring which ensures you never lose your shopping!

More details of the competition HERE.

Ergonomic shopping bag handle with reminder ring wins this year’s Collyer’s ‘Designing for the Future’ competition

An ergonomic shopping bag handle which stops you forgetting your shopping has won first prize in this year’s “Designing for the Future” competition run by The Future Perfect Company and The College of Richard Collyer in Horsham, Sussex.

This popular competition, which is now in its second year, encourages young designers to think about the challenges that an ageing population presents – and to create innovative, attractive and aspirational designs that allow people to continue to live enjoyable, active and independent lives as they get older.

The winning design by Collyer’s AS level student, Alex Francis is an ergonomic handle designed to hold a number of shopping bags with a unique reminder ring which makes sure you never leave your bags behind again. 

The runners up were no less ingenious. Mike Davies designed a vibrating pillow alarm clock ideal for deaf people and also considerate spouses not wanting to wake their partner; Isabelle Parker devised an elegant heated back support and Sam Hammant came up with toast tweezers – perfect for extracting annoying pieces of toast stuck in the toaster.  Aston Cheesman’s design was a clever chair port with adjustable tray table and Ben Palmer took the idea of long handled back brushes a stage further with his shower aid which is pre-loaded with shower gel. 

Says Philippa Aldrich, founder of The Future Perfect Company :” We are delighted to be running this competition for a second year with Collyer’s and their excellent Arts faculty.  With design education under threat, we think it is very important to be supporting young designers in this way, particularly when their creativity and skills will be essential to us all as we get older. The Horsham district has one of the fastest ageing populations in the UK and there is a real need for designers to think about the challenges that will bring.  Alex’s shopping bag handle allows you to carry more than one shopping bag comfortably. And the reminder ring makes sure you never leave your shopping behind. Although designed with older people in mind, this product has universal appeal and would be really useful for Christmas shopping!”

Judge Craig Barrow commented “The students showed a high quality of research and development within their chosen areas of work producing a wide range of ideas and interesting concepts. Congratulations to the winners.” 

The competition was open to Collyer’s students on the GCE Advanced Subsidiary Product Design course and is integrated into that course. Last year the exam board congratulated the College on using this live brief.

The judges included Denise Stephens (co-founder of online design community Enabled by Design), Craig Barrow (former winner of the “Designing for the Future” competition at University of Brighton), and Philippa Aldrich (founder of The Future Perfect Company). Tutors Kate Sharp (Faculty leader – Arts and Communications) and Hari Atkins (Subject Leader – Product Design, Materials) acted as advisors to the judging panel.

iHUS – an instant granny annex

Need extra space for a carer, a granny annex or simply just a downstairs bathroom or wetroom but can’t face the upheaval of re-configuring your home or building an extension? At Naidex South this year, I came upon a solution – the pre-fabricated iHUS.  

By chance, Grand Designs on Channel 4 last night was all about pre-fabs. Kevin McCloud went to visit Alan Dawson who had built much of his house in his workshop before transporting it to site.   

The iHus follows similar principles to the Grand Designs pre-fab but is much quicker to build. The whole unit is put together in the factory and then simply winched into place. I am told that standard installation time including groundworks is just 2 weeks. 

An iHUS can be of any size, with a range of different bespoke finishing touches, inside and out, and with as little or as many rooms as are needed.  The units can be manufactured  to any finish and specificaiton, from roofing styles to the number of plug sockets. And most importantly the exterior can be finished to match your home. 

Planning permission is usually required. 

When you want to move, you can either leave the iHUS in place (it is an accredited extension that exceeds British Standards) or take it with you. 

iHUS was founded by Trevor Smeaton and Mark Smith who believe they have found a gap in the market by combining high quality accommodation for older and disabled people with an innovative approach which enables families to stay together comfortably. They work with a team of occupational therapists and design and adaptations experts to make sure they understand the needs of their customers – not many builders do that!

I think the iHUS is a great idea with huge potential and could be the solution for lots of hard pressed families wondering how they are going to cope with multi-generational caring.

For an example of how installation of an iHUS has worked for one family and some more photos, read Chantal and Chris’ story here:http://www.ihusaccess.com/chantal-and-chris-say-thank-you-ihus

For more information, visit www.ihusaccess.com

Got an idea for an independent living product? Hymid R&D wants to know

At Naidex South, I met up with Richard Child, Technical Director of Hymid R&D. 

Richard recently graduated from University College Falmouth with a first class honours degree in 3D design and has since set up Hymid R&D as an ideas hub for the independent living sector. 

Based at the Paignton Innovation Centre, South Devon College, Hymid R&D is focused on revolutionising the independent living industry by adding value through design. 

Richard says “It is clear within the independent living sector, that end users and industry professionals are aware of all the issues and problems. However, if they have an idea about how to solve a problem, what do they do with it? It’s these ideas that Hymid R&D are looking to develop. We want to work with communities, end users and industry professionals to solve problems through inclusive design. Our mission is simple; to nurture innovative ideas into existence”.

Richard is currently working on a product for the crutches market. If you or someone you know has  ever used crutches, then he wants to hear about the problems you faced or are facing.  

Getting products to market is one of the biggest challenges faced by all designers particularly in the independent living sector and we wish Richard every success with his new venture.

To get in touch with Richard and for more information, visit  http://www.hymidrandd.co.uk/idea. Like all good entrepreneurs, Richard has also embraced social media  at http://www.facebook.com/hymidrandd and http://www.twitter.com/hymidrandd

Raising the Standard – a rating scheme for assistive technologies and aids to independent living

This week at Naidex South saw the launch by the Years Ahead Partnership and Newcastle University of a feasibility study into a scheme for rating Assistive Technology.

Demographic changes and pressure on public finances are leading to radical changes in the statutory provision of simple assistive technology. Simple aids for daily living – such as walking sticks, mobility aids, tools for arthritic fingers and swollen feet – are now increasingly appearing in a variety of existing and new channels. You only need to look in the small ads of the Sunday newspaper supplements.

However, there are challenges to the emerging market. Public awareness of the existence and benefits of simple living aids is low, the take up is limited by stigma and negative associations of old age and disability. And healthcare professionals are nervous about such developments – not surprisingly given the Office of Fair Trading’s recent investigation into unscrupulous traders taking advantage of ill-informed consumers.

This joint study looked into the feasibility of a consumer-led product rating system which would raise awareness, improve customer confidence, help de-stigmatise the products and offer re-assurance to professionals.

The majority of people surveyed were in favour of an online consumer rating model with a panel or accreditation system to provide further rigour. A kind of “Trip-advisor” for assistive technology and living aids.

We were one of the organisations consulted as part of the study and share Maggie Winchcombe of Years Ahead’s view that “such a scheme has a vital part to play in empowering us all as consumers of [Assistive Technology], designed to help us live our lives to the full into great old age”.

And wearing our designer hats, we believe too that such a scheme will also encourage designers, manufacturers and retailers to really focus on the consumer – and this means producing and selling products which are well designed, innovative and attractive as well as functional.

The next stage for the “Raising the Standard” team is further research and consultation about the design of the rating scheme.  We will keep you posted.

Image  - ShowerSandal 

“The Times” Silver Manifesto – why good design would be a good start

Today “The Times” published a “silver manifesto”, listing 50 ways to make life better for older people.

The list is rather eclectic ranging from major issues such as treating older people with respect and keeping them out of hospital to minor niggles such as making the text on menus bigger and banning inaudible public announcements.

There is nothing specific about putting ageing at the centre of all design – although “Reward inventions and innovations that make life easier for the elderly” scrapes in at #49.

I think that if we encouraged all our creative minds to consider older people when designing products and services , it would automatically follow that menus would be more legible and announcements clearer. And by doing this we would be going some way to showing older people the respect they deserve.

And actually if we sorted out all the niggly stuff, life would be easier for all of us, whatever our age.

Image: Push out plug by Glen Crombie, Designing for the Future Competition, Collyer’s 2010