Progress Plan

Progress Plan + Goals

Goal: Create a future scenario that allows for a new view of the lifestyle of the retired and elderly, and to find a product to accomodate their desires and expectations to future technology.

January:

- Research on coming technologies on which development research is done today, and are considered to be in common usage in the next decade to 15 years.
Sources: TechCast, TechEBlog, Touch, Wired, v-2.org, ID-Lab and Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture at Oslo University (TIK) among other websources and research publications.

- Create a three axis diagram of different types of user interfaces related to age and culture, in order to see better which type of interface can be considered for the intended target groups(i.e. what works well in Japan, might be completely ridiculous in Italy, and what`s practical and sound in Norway, might be considered too plain in Japan..) This will then be compared to new interfaces under development, ref. Surface, Intelligent Textiles etc.

- Interviews with future users. Age group 50-60, will be retired within 10-20 years. Find out about their preferences, wishes and demands to their technological products today, and which kind of social framework guides these preferences. What kind of lifestyle will they seek when they`re retired? This information will be cross-referenced according to age and cultural frame.

-Research existing solutions. "Competitive Analysis".

February:

- Do a Trend analysis of the well grown up tech. users of today. What do they appreciate with respect to form, functions and interface?

- Create a Future Scenario. This will be based on information found in the research phase and Trend analysis, and will contain as much detail as possible regarding cultural frameworks (habits, norms), as well as projections from established research sources and personal cultural experience.

- Ideation process. Sketch ideas to fit into said scenario in order to find a product concept to fit the new lifestyle of the elderly.

March:

- Idea development. Further drawing and concept definition. Making variations of the concept to fit different cultural settings.

- End of month: Deadline for choosing a final concept.

April:

- Shaping and initial modelling.
- Interface definition
- Modelling

May:

- Prototyping
- Graphic work for presentation.

End of May: Final Presentation.