Horizont, Design for Generations
Seniors like products which not stigmatise them as old. The industry still barely reacts to this claim but designers are working on the implementation.
Germany's society is steadily getting older. Still regarded by many as a future development, demographic change has already begun. But the industry is not adequately adjusted to it. According to Mario Ohoven, president of the Association of medium-sized enterprises (BVMW), the industry is orientating accordingly right now: "Now the companies get confronted slightly by the demographic change. That means simultaneous aging and shrinking of the population. Not everybody has realized that this is about a billion dollar business. The generation 50plus consumer units will increase from currently 52 to 58 percent by 2035. "
BVMW President says that "it is important to provide more products for older people without saying that these products were made for elderly persons. Telling them that these are products especially for older people would deter them from buying." That is the problem. Some companies just began to worry about the needs of older people and overlooked the crucial point: the target group “best agers” is not homogenous and they do not want any customized products for older persons. They want products they can use easily.
"Consumers do not decide for something different, just because they got older," said Christian Schmidt, managing director at the Geneva Institute of brand technology. "Everybody wants the most appropriate product for himself. If seniors want larger phone buttons and a simpler usability these are the needs of the majority - even when they are younger." And from this follows: "If the concept is right the product appeals to everybody."
In contrast to the industry, industrial designers focus this approach for quite some time. "We are talking about trans-generation products," says Stefan Brodbeck, managing director of Brodbeck Design in Munich. "These are products that neither exclude young nor old but find widespread acceptance." This claim can be applied to almost everything, from a washing machines to mobile phones over to computers. Schmidt, a expert for brand technology, confirms: "If companies direct their strategy towards a single target group they automatically exclude many others. The best brands are always those which are spread over all target groups."
A recent example: Apple iPhone. "The design is so conclusive that the device appeals to everybody. Even the entire mobile phone industry orientates towards this device," says Schmidt. Designer Brodbeck adds: "The technology of the iPhone makes it possible that the device is adapted to the needs of the user and not vice versa."
A crucial point, which is also important for Pascal Soboll, Practice Lead at Ideo, Munich: "As soon as the technology demands something from the users, the product remains confined to certain groups." This is why designers should try to achieve exactly the opposite: "A product should be usable across all generations. It has to be intuitive and simple to use so it will always be accepted by a wider audience." A thumb-sized hole in the filter bag eases the handling not only for restricted motorized fingers. And a height-adjustable table with the crank directly under the plate and not placed near the ground, also helps younger people who do not have to bend down.
Especially the mobile sector often puts ideas into practise that ease up handling. So Ideo developed a mobile phone for Vodafone whose handling is directed to the human way of thinking: "In tests we have found out that older people firstly think about who to contact and later if they want to contact the person via phone or SMS. Most phones do it the other way round." The solution: an integrated address book button that allows to select at first the contact and than the way how to communicate. Another button allows to get out of each menu item any time. This solution is based on the experience that many older people often get lost in the menu of mobile phones. Both functions not only help older people, but obviously younger users too.
Even at Brodbeckdesign they constantly work on solutions for mobiles: A device for the target audience over 70 should also appeal to the 30-year-olds. Not just for design reasons. Finally, the younger ones often make the decision to purchase mobile phones for the elderly – this is also a reason why the aesthetics has to please them.
Conversely, on the electronics and technology sector the contrasting development is possible: Designer Soboll: "In the past games consoles had a very complex menu made for young users. The Wii console of Nintendo can be used so easily by the new controlling concept that even British nursing homes have these consoles for their inhabitants." The console makes sure that the residents have light sporting activity which they otherwise would not have.
Experts still see a lot of potential for the mass market in the health sector. The dosage form of drugs is an example: for patient of any age who suffer from the ingestion of tablets under the stigma of illness, the drug should come from a stylish bottle of juice. And even in the food sector it occurs that intergenerational brands arise in spite of short-lived trends. Bionade is one of them, says Schmidt. But here also applies the idea of universally accepted products: "Probably nobody really thought about a certain target group."