Ethnographers, designers and engineers work together to develop concepts and ideas based on the opportunities (and constraints) revealed by the research. TRIL uses a people-centred design approach to translate its deep ethnographic understandings into appropriate interventions.
Ethnographic research is used in the TRIL Centre as a fuel for innovation and inspiration in a creative process of concept generation, refinement and development. The insight it generates is used to identify what opportunities exist for technological intervention, and what those technologies need to do.
Creating research tools and independent living prototypes that are relevant and resonant for older people is a design challenge. We cannot assume that older people have the same level of interaction with technology as other users. We have also learned that older people often need extra time to explore and play with technology in order to come to terms with it. However, it would be wrong to assume that they lack interest in technology or that they are unwilling to learn about it. Designing technology that is relevant to users requires great sensitivity and attention to usability and accessibility.