The influence of ageing on product experience

People are living longer and the world population is ageing. At the individual level, ageing leads to functional losses and causes behavioural changes. These phenomena affect product experience on its four levels of response - physical, sensory, cognitive and affective. Unless design takes account of these changes, the quality of experience is compromised. To explore the influence of ageing on product experience a study was carried out with younger and older adults. The findings indicate that older adults had more difficulty understanding how to use products such as computers and mobile telephones. The older adults also tended to develop a less positive relationship with such products and consequently technology was less integrated into their lives. Overall, the study suggests that, with respect to product functionality, the two groups have different needs and expectations. This influences not only their product experiences, but also the extent to which technology is accepted and adopted.