Beyond the Decline Narrative: An Exploration of Design for Aging in the 21st Century

By Valerie Haynal

At the outset of my thesis, my interest was in infusing dignity into disability products for the elderly; over time I became aware of what a narrow view of aging this assumed. Indeed most designers tend to treat "Design for aging" as synonymous with "Design for Disability". Given the projected growth of an already large cohort of healthy elderly in our society, it is becoming critical to explore the opportunities in design for the aged that go beyond disability. I argue that making products applicable to this population should not only be profitable, but should also serve a positive social purpose in making the aging process part of an affirmative life continuum. This thesis traces my exploration, and proposes that designers transcend the decline narrative, and incorpate the notion of design for Positive Aging into their repertoire.

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