Innovation and connections design concept

1. project report 492011 Asian Smart Living Summer School48
In this age of information explosion, we gradually forget about our past and
history. We also gradually forget that what created this new era were the
accumulative experiences of the diligent older generations. At the intersection
of old and new, we, the younger generation, should learn to connect and
communicate with the older generation more actively and effectively.
1. Connecting the memory / to think about how to relate the younger generation
to the elders through mutual topics.
2. Mutual growth – learning together / the differences between the two
generations make the gap wider and wider. How can we motivate the elders to
learn? And how can we help them gain a sense of achievement in the dialogue
process with the younger generation?
3. How can we intrigue the younger generation by the traditions of the older
generation?
Connekt
Mentor / Tao Kuan Tien (USA)
Coach / Eileen Tsai (Taiwan)
Mentoring Assistant / Eggu Lee (Taiwan)
Team Members / Hsin Hua Chen (Taiwan), Katri Nykänen (Finland),
Colin Ong (Singapore), Yeow Tiong Siang (Malaysia) & Yao Yu Yang (Taiwan)
TEAM42011 ASIAN SMART LIVING SUMMER SCHOOL

2. project report 512011 Asian Smart Living Summer School50
DEFINE
After the three days of activities, our group
returned to the workshop to reflect on and
share our experiences. We internalized the
experiences of the past three days, and then
outlined the Neverland in our minds using the
preliminary definition as the foundation. After
group brainstorming, our Neverland started
to emerge. Keywords were written on post-its to help express the Neverland
we had in our minds. We pondered what group would make up the users of
Neverland, and how the Neverland could be used. We also wanted to determine
specific demands of use.
In the discussion, all participants were very impressed by the content elders with
whom we ate and took classes in Yishanli in Tamsui. We learned from them that
aged people still need to be recognized and to be needed. The elders thought
their society in the village was satisfactory, however we wondered whether it
would add a new spark if we brought in a youthful energy. We focused, then, on
elders and the younger generation and discussed using POV, having learned about
the living experience of the elders and using ourselves to represent the younger
generation. By exploring the qualities and life experiences of the two user groups,
we tried to use it as the direction to connect“sense of achievement”and“learning
between generations”into our service design.
The most memorable event was visiting Yishanli in
Tamsui and spending time dining and learning with
the elders of the community. This small village faces
an aging population and population immigration
issues, but through mutual collaboration, the villagers
have formed a new society like a big family.
During our conversation, we first learned about the
backgrounds of two elders. Although they enjoyed
their peaceful and stable lives, their hearts were with
their children who moved to other cities for work. They wanted to have more
contact with their children. We also learned that the elders did not want much,
but also that memories and having a sense of achievement were very important
to them. When a grandfather talked about his past glories, his face was full of joy.
The shy grandmother also possessed hidden talent, and when we complimented
her on it, her palpable gratitude and satisfaction touched our hearts.
DISCOVER

3. project report 532011 Asian Smart Living Summer School52
Upon confirming the basic design direction,
we began thinking about the qualities of
the elders and the younger generation. The
elders’concerns were about being needed,
fitting into and participating in the society,
and being recognized by the society, as well
as having a high quality of life. How could we
answer to these? We began considering the reasons behind these psychological
factors in areas such as society, generational differences, technology and mental
status, and we came up with the following concept: in order to bridge the gap
between generations, the most important factor is to satisfy the elders’concerns,
allowing them to regain their sense of honor, to be needed and to be recognized
on their value. This could be accomplished through participation with the younger
generation, letting the elders learn new technology and get in touch with their
family members, as well as do what they have always done with the help of the
younger generation and technology. The most important aspect would be for
both the elders and the younger generation to mutually confirm each other’s
value through the process of interaction and mutual learning.
Our service is Connekt – to have young people live with the elders and help solve
the inconveniences of life for the elders. Through closer contact, young people
could teach the elders to use technology that would make the elders’lives more
convenient. In return, the elders teach young people the long lost technology and
share with them about their shared history. Finally, the service arranged journeys
for discovery for both parties.
When two parties help and interact with each other in search of past memories,
the distance between young and old, and even between the elders and their
families, is brought closer.
In the final stage, we combined the above revisions and used chopsticks as a
symbol to deliver the scope this service could affect. We described in specifics
how to execute this service and its procedures, and finally used role-playing to
depict the full set of services and the key stage interactions to deliver the service.
DEVELOP
DELIVER

4. CONCEPT GENERATION
SERVICE FRAMWORK
- Offer home-stay
- History through story-telling
- Discovery trip
STORY BOARD
ROLE PLAY
paths of interest
grandchild was born
shared history through
discovery trip
marriage
child moves to Taipei
grandma learns new
technology
community / 眷村
grandpa passed away
teenagers connect to
grandma
apartment / 國宅
Connekt service provided
grandma utilises new
technology (community)
FINAL
PRESENTATION