Maartje and I were invited by our project team members over at the TU/e to design and offer some workshops together. The first one was about getting to know the elderly people for whom we are all designing with through a dreaming activity and co-reflection.
The workshop was held in Deurne together with Stichting Welzijn Deurne. We had some lively participants who were eager to ‘help us with our research’. We started with a fun activity of creating collages, or vision boards that finished the sentence “I am suddenly with the body of a 17 year old, which means I can go and do whatever I please today! So i start by getting ready in the morning, and then I...”
After sifting through various magazines, choosing, cutting and glueing chosen images, our wonderful participants shared their dreams with us. We heard stories about things they had done they would like to do again, we heard about their dreams and wishes, as well as some of their worries and fears. All their presentations and stories were powerful and meaningful.
After we had some coffee and cake we broke into groups to discuss three Product Service System (PSS) concepts previously co-designed during a TU/e stakeholder workshop. In this second half of the workshop our participants told us what was relevant for them, and we had discussions about what they would like to see offered.
The workshop was a success! We gained insight into the needs and wishes of elderly people, especially focussing on what they would like to have the opportunity to do. We found that by designing a platform on which they can express themselves, they were triggered to open up and share their experiences, and their point of view. The participants were enthusiastic about what we did during the workshop, and look forward to hearing about our next steps. The CRISP@DAE Grey but Mobile team is looking forward to refining how we can gain insights about the needs, wishes and dreams of elderly people.