Project Phases

This project has several distinct phases, or immersions, and the weight I wish to lay on each one is still to be decided. However, these phases and how I work through them, can be used to draw guidelines for an end product, or they can be more profoundly explored, in which case they can be seen as freestanding analysis projects, with their own value.

Phase 1:

¤ contains research on the intended target group, the new elderly, and the intersections between their cultural belonging and the types of interfaces they are accustomed to, as well as the type of interface they would be likely to accept. This work will devulge through demografic research, technology used today and the one most likely to be common in the target timeframe, "the grey wave"(projected to hit hard in many countries in the next 15-20 years). ICT research will be put some extra weight onto, as it will continue to grow as a main driving force for product innovation for general consumption and private lifestyle. Research will also have to be done on today`s elderly, as well as people who will be retired in the target timeframe; today`s adults. This will be done through a trend analysis of my own, compared to other`s, as well as case interviews and focus on the zeitgeist of today. (What main factors set the frame for the zietgeist of a certain period in time?). .
This base research will serve to imagine a scenario for the future with the new elderly in mind.

Phase 2:

¤ Create a scenario. Identifying the factors that give the base for a future scenario will be a main focus for the initial part of this phase. Cultural frames, the political landscape, commonly accepted technology, ways of communication and entertainment generally paint a clear image of a time. Based on projections from technological research and demographic information from my three focus areas; Italy, Japan and Norway, I will try to do a projected trend analysis for this future scenario. This will undoubtedly be strongly coloured by my own experiences from these countries, however, I will have the need to discuss these ideas with others interested in this type of research, i.e. sociologists and cultural analysts.
This scenario image can serve as a base for a product development strategy or framework, and could be a freestanding project in itself. Exactly how much I will immerge myself in the research sketched up so far, is yet to be decided.

Phase 3:

¤ Concept creation. I will create a number of concepts based on the future scenario from phase 2, and then do a screening of each one. The concepts should fit well into the imagined scenario, and should also have certain features, like;

> communication or social interaction
> light and portable
> encourage immersion and have a learning curve
> flexible; the concept could have cross-generational appeal.

Phase 4:

¤ OPEN.
The end result of this project could be a concept for interaction, a product, or a freestanding analysis method, to be used as a tool for product development.

As I imagine the initial phases, 1 and 2, they are lines to be drawn up to find a projected intersection. Depending on the points of departure of each line, rooted in various interest areas, and their imagined end point in time, one will find an intersecting point on which to focus a creative effort. Well approved method, I guess, however hopefully it will serve as a base for a realistic future concept creation.