Essentialist Approach

Designing products with a ‘less is more’ approach

This trend is all about elevating the features that matter. Increasingly ableism - discrimination in favour of able-bodied people - in design is being scruitinised. This is reflected in a recent move by the Chinese government to prioritise accessible design features for older adults. As the number of people living with a disability increases in China, there will be a greater need for mobility solutions that address these issues with innovative designs, helping people of all abilities to achieve greater quality of life and wellbeing.

As a result, designers and brands are beginning to take a different approach, designing products and services. Excess is stripped away and key functionalities are brought to the fore, making their use better for everyone.

© Kumpan Electric

MICRO TREND

© Alipay, © Taobao

CASE STUDY One Touch Solutions

Identifying the potential market opportunity of the longevity economy, innovative companies in China such as Taobao61 launched simplified app interfaces for older adults as early as 2018. In November of 2020, the Chinese government accelerated this change, announcing a set of design guidelines62 that tech companies must follow to make it easier for older adults to use websites and apps. As a result, 43 mobile apps and 115 websites63 have launched simplified older adult-focused solutions that feature simplified interfaces.

DiDi, a Chinese ride-hailing platform, launched its ‘older-adult’ mode in May 202164 . When users switch to this mode, they are presented with a simplified interface featuring larger fonts and the ability to hail a car with a single click. By June of 2021, 4 million trips had been made using this simplified mode, significantly increasing trips made by older adults, according to Didi.

Similarly, Alibaba Group has launched versions of its Taobao65 and Alipay66 services, allowing users to toggle between the traditional interface and a secondary mode targeted at older adults. Named “senior mode” and “elder mode” both platforms feature enlarged text and icons, simplified navigation and voice-assisted technologies that allow older adults to search products and make payments using voice commands.

Although these developments have been welcomed, some media sources67 have criticised several of these apps for only making surface-level changes. For example, simply changing the primary interface on a landing page but not adjusting the secondary pages with the same accessible adaptations.

The adoption and development of simplified interfaces by the countries leading technology platforms is likely to create a new level of expectation amongst Chinese older adults and their families.

© Aisin Seiki, Mikiya Kobayashi, Karimoku

CASE STUDY A Softer Approach

Designed by Japanese designer Mikiya Kobayashi68, in collaboration with Aisin Seiki69, an automotive company (who operates in China), and Karimoku70, a woodfurniture manufacturer in Japan, ILY-Ai is an electric scooter with a body constructed from wood - specifically chestnut.

The scooter’s organic form is made from an aluminium frame cased in a warm wood outer shell. Kobayashi chose to use wood for its proven positive, psychological, emotional, and health effects71, such as stress relief. Designed specifically for individuals with mobility issues, the scooter positions riders in a straddled, upright position upon a padded leather seat, helping to ensure rider stability alongside the vehicles tricycle wheelbase.

Furthermore, the design implements additional accessibility features, using the contrast of solid black against the warm wood tones to clearly define points of user contact, i.e. the seat and handlebars. This approach can aid those with cognitive and visual impairments, making the product easier to use.

The vehicle is programmed to travel at four kilometres per hour (around 2.5 miles per hour), similar to walking speed. Sensors embedded in the front of the scooter provide extra safety precautions, stopping the rider if it detects any obstacles.

By removing excess componentry associated with current mobility scooters, Kobayashi has given the device a pleasing aesthetic and presented something more intuitive, making the product easier to use the first time around.