Electrolux Silver Generation Project

All eleven kitchen concepts for the silver generation are now ready and displayed at Lasalle College of the Arts, 1 McNally Street in Singapore during the Singapore Design Festival, Nov 22-29. Opening hours: 10 am – 6 pm, closed on Monday Nov 23.

You will find more details about each of the concepts under the headline ”Team projects” in the right menu. All comments are most welcome!

Photos from the exhibition opening

Projects are completed and the exhibition is up.  A selection of opening night pictures are coming soon but for those in living in, or visiting Singapore for the Design Festival, go down to the Praxis and Project spaces at ground level at LaSalle College of the Arts and see for yourself.

The first step of the project is done but the ongoing dialogue on facebook continues. Let us know your thoughts and opinions. Ask the teams directly about their ideas. This is the point where we hand the baton over to the individual students and teams to present their ideas.

Wei

Right before the official opening, at 5.30-6.30 pm, we arrange a lecture about the concepts in room F201 on level 2.

We hope that as many as possible will join the opening. However, there is limited space for the 5.30 pm lecture , so please send an email to jileen.tan@electrolux.com if you plan to attend.

Welcome!

During our search for information on the aging population we found a lot of concerned views and it was very refreshing to find the “Council for Third Age“. 

The council was set up in 2007. It’s an independent body that promotes active ageing and looks at ageing with an optimistic view seeing the opportunities rather than the threat. They encourage physical well-being, social network, economical independent and staying mentally and emotionally healthy.

The definition of the Third Age “is when self-actualization and fulfillment gain greater importance, as we have more financial capabilities and perhaps less career or family responsibilities. C3A hopes to empower all seniors to seek fulfillment at this stage while remaining self-reliant, independent and active.”

Last weekend I visited friends in Langkawi, who lives on a boat in the harbor. During our visit we met and heard of other people having similar lifestyles. Especially the story of one couple stayed with me: He is 72, she is 71 and they practice Pilates every day. Watching them dock their large sailing boat was impressive. He moved quickly over the deck and she was at the wheel maneuvering the boat slow and steady. Talk about quality of life.

Where and how do you see yourself living your third age?

Pernilla

It is all too easy to be dismissive just thinking ‘granny doesn’t get it’ when seeing the difficulty some elderly have with changing technology.  Consider  what used to work just fine with a flick of switch, is now ‘new and improved’,  but in reality may be a step down not up for the user.

A short video highlighting the difficulty elderly in the US may have had in changing from analogue to digital TV in 2009 pointed out with a touch of humor the confusion of non intuitive products or services.  I had a conversation with my own mother the other week who told me her new Internet service provider advised her to read the online FAQ when she called for help in getting connected!

We have come to take for granted the complex web of product and services around us. If you think about your parents, or yourselves when you get older, will you get it?

Wei

Going back to where all this started – TED is looking at the macro trends, including the aging population and inclusiveness.

If the only way to manage change is to create it – how to drive it?

Pernilla

I was recently led to this BBC article about how scientists are working on how to make the last 50 year of our lives just as active as the first 50 years. Though it will take 30 – 50 years to get there big steps are made already to surgical technology.

Also check this TED video.

Can you imagine how we in the future could have a surgical procedure made by an expert sitting on this other side of the world?

Pernilla

Who does not get tired from the week’s shopping trip at their local market or supermarket, carrying an increasingly heavy basket, or dealing with trolley jams in the isles. Younger more limber people can manage the bending and stretching to reach items out of easy reach. For older consumers, difficulty in seeing and reaching the items they need can turn a tiring trip into a chore, yet one they have to do if they live on their own, or want to play an active part of a larger household. In Germany the Kaiser supermarket chain has made their stores senior friendly to meet this market need and with apparent success.

What simple solutions to daily basic but essential tasks can you think of that would enable the seniors you know to continue leading active lives?

Wei

On my last flight back from Europe I sat next to a man that must have been in his mid 70s. During the takeoff he was enjoying crossword puzzles, but after dinner he approached the in-flight entertainment system. After observing him for a while I realized he was not going to get further than the first screen. The text on the display indicated that he needed to press the green button on the remote, but the font size was so small it was impossible for him to read it. Careful not to offend him I guided him through the first steps and from there he managed on his own. Patiently he gave me a big smile telling me that “by the time we arrive I will know how it works.” Though the man was not appearing to be overly frustrated with the in-flight entertainment system I think this is a very good example of ‘exclusive’ design and as a result it’s simply poorly executed for everyone.

What other good examples of ‘exclusive’ design do we experience around us?

Pernilla

I have at times heard the remark as people age they care less about how they look. Whist there certainly can be the thinking of “I’m 70+ and can damn well do what I want!” time and time again I have met and seen elderly individuals who tell or show me they very much care how they look and feel.

From an elderly Dutch couple I once sat next to on a flight traveling in their best clothes, (they held the firm view you should look your best in public), to the two ladies in the above photo. One in New York, the other in Tokyo, both clearly conscious of their appearance and doing something about it.

Needing and wanting to feel good about yourself is a powerful motivator. It may be cosmetic appearance, as with the two ladies, to indulging in leisure,  to coping with day-to-day life without breaking into too much of a sweat.

Looking around you, can you see what needs and wants the upcoming silver generation will be looking for?

Wei