DESIGNING FOR AN AGEING POPULATION

The Design Museum and Design Age Institute have created Designing for our Future Selves, a new display that invites visitors to explore the ways innovation and design are responding to the needs, interests and aspirations of an ageing society. The display, which is on show in the atrium of the Design Museum in Kensington, London, until 26 March 2023, builds on last year’s Future of Ageing display.

The 21st century is shaping up to be a century of centenarians. Someone born in the developed world in 2000 is expected to have a 50% chance of living to 100 or beyond. With more people living longer, an increasing proportion of the UK’s population will become part of an older, healthier, more financially secure, and technologically savvy demographic, but with that also comes challenges.

Designing for our Future Selves aims to show how design can help people to not only live their later years independently, sustainably and healthily but also with joy and fulfilment. The display includes information on research and design projects in the form of video and audio content, consultation feedback, design concepts, prototypes, materials, sketches and user experience.

Colum Lowe, Director at the Design Age Institute said: “Designing for our Future Selves allows us to explore how design innovation could improve our lives as we grow older. The exhibition will open this dialogue up to younger audiences who may not have questioned what it means to grow older in today’s society, the potential challenges that lie ahead and how we seek to solve them.”

Design Museum / designmuseum.org

Design Age Institute / designage.org