Age UK Agenda for Later Life – live longer healthier

On Thursday, I was delighted to be asked to speak at the Age UK national policy conference, Agenda for Later Life 2012.

This annual policy conference looks at how public policy is meeting the challenges of later life and the accompanying  report (see below) is a useful stocktake of where things stand now, as well as a recognition that the issues involved require not just action from Government but also third sector bodies, businesses and older people themselves.  Age UK are focussed on a a vision of “active ageing” which allows people to participate in society and realise their potential for physical, social and mental wellbeing while providing adequate care and security.

I was part of the panel talking about inclusive design, together with Professor Jeremy Myerson from the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design  and Tony Noakes, the Operations Director for the BBC’s Switchover Help Scheme  – which has evidently been doing a fantastic job in making sure older and disabled people are ready for the digital switchover.

Professor Jeremy Myerson (who featured in last’s week’s The Culture Show) opened proceedings with the 10 myths about inclusive design including that it is boring and expensive to implement. I talked about my experiences of setting up The Future Perfect Company and running the Designing for the Future competition with the University of Brighton.

I am pleased to report that we had a capacity audience and there seemed to be a good deal of interest in inclusive design and design for older people. It was also a good opportunity to share information about what was happening in this field.

Two new initiatives are in the off-ing. Age UK are about to launch their Trusted by Engage accreditation scheme designed to raise awareness of Engage, its business network which, it is fair to say, has had a quiet couple of years but has now apparently been reinvigorated. Also last week saw the UK launch of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

Mary Sinfield from the New Dynamics of Ageing  told me about a fashion research project which is looking at how our bodies change as we get older – something I am definitely going to follow up.

The stand out presentation of this year’s Conference for me was given by Professor Alan Walker, Professor of Social Policy and Social Gerentology at the University of Sheffield who had an unusually upbeat approach to our ageing demographic.  He made the observation that the people who we are predicting will be inhabiting costly care homes in 2030/40 are alive now and if they were to take action to reduce environmental risk factors, for example by eating well and taking exercise, they would be more likely to be able to maintain their independence longer and less likely to need substantial care. Ageing, he said should be looked at from a life course perspective and we should all aim to “live longer healthier and die faster”. Food for thought.

You can download HERE Age UK’s Agenda for Later Life 2012 policy report

Launch of “Designing for the Future” 2012 at University of Brighton

Yesterday was the launch of the “Designing for the Future” Competition at the University of Brighton. This is the third year of this Competition which follows hot on the heels of the successful student design competition at Collyers’ sixth form college. All part of our mission to encourage designers to consider the challenges of getting older.

Nick Gant (Principal Lecturer) and Gareth Neal(Senior Lecturer) are leading the project at  the University which is open to students from the BA (Hons) 3D Design/MDes 3D Design courses at the Faculty of Art.

We are delighted that Age UK  consumer policy advisor Gretel Jones has agreed to be a judge again. And this year we are also joined by Richard Child from 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.

Anne Boddington, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at University of Brighton and Philippa Aldrich from The Future Perfect Company complete the judging panel.

This year the prizes will include product development advice and social media and business mentoring – which hopefully will help the students to take their ideas one stage further as well as help them market themselves. 

Last year’s Competition provoked a lot of discussion, interest and press coverage. We had showcases at the Mobility Roadshow, The BSRA Science of Ageing conference and also a public expo. With the launching of initiatives such as the Technology Strategy Board’s Tomorrow Together and with an invitation to talk about the Competition at this year’s Age UK annual policy conference, this year looks set to be even more exciting for inclusive design.

We return to Brighton in March for a “Dragons Den” to assess progress and give feedback. The judging will take place in May with the results announced in June.

Image : Supermarket navigator by Jessica Hung, Designing for the Future 2011

Introducing our gorgeous new yellow and black double handled mug!

Hot out of its Forest of Dean kiln, I am delighted to introduce you to the latest addition to our range of popular handmade double handled teapots and mugs!  A lovely daffodil yellow with black handles and edging, it is the perfect mug for brightening up your kitchen in time for Spring.

Like all our double handled mugs, these mugs have been handmade for us by Reckless Designs so every one is different.  

The unusual two handled design makes this mug easy to hold even for those with weak wrists or arthritis  and it is particularly comforting when you are feeling under the weather or just wanting to relax.   Great for soups or a good old fashioned cup of tea. Makes an unusual Mothers Day present or housewarming gift but is also handy for the younger grandchildren.  Perfect for young and old alike, this is inclusive design at its best.

As it is handmade, supply is limited so you will need to be quick. For more information, including how to buy, CLICK HERE

Inclusive design – luxury or “must have”? Guest blog for Age UK

I have just written a post for the Age UK blog, “Inclusive Design – luxury or “must have”“, ahead of the Agenda for Later Life 2012 conference where I will be speaking about inclusive design.

In these times of austerity, I think it is easy to dismiss design as a luxury. However, if we pause and think for a moment about what good and, in particular inclusive, design, can deliver for us, very quickly it becomes a “must have”.

To read the blog in full, go to http://ageukblog.org.uk/2012/02/11/inclusive-design-luxury-or-must-have/

For details about the Agenda for Later Life 2012 conference including how to book , visit http://www.ageuk.org.uk/professional-resources-home/conferences/agenda-for-later-life/

RSA Student Design Awards – Mine for Life

2012 is turning out to be a very busy year! As well as running my own “Designing for the Future” competition with the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton, I have also been invited to judge the RSA Student Design Awards and in particular the Mine for Life category.

The Mine for Life competition challenges students to design an assistive technology product which can be made through additive manufacturing using a consumer-driven and people-centred design philosophy. There is a cash award supported by Enabled by Design  and Loughborough University - and very excitingly, the chance to have the winning design additively manufactured by Loughborough University.

As well as Mine for Life, the RSA Student Design Awards have a number of other interesting categories, all of which address important social issues, such as the workplace and working conditions of the future (Tomorrow’s workplace);  intergenerational relationships (Something for everyone) and collaborative consumption (Shared assets).

I am really delighted to be asked to be involved and will let you know what happens.   

The deadline for entries is 17 February and more details can be found HERE

Image: Silver Inhaler by Hanna Mawbey 2011

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.