Self Initiated Project - Holly Thomson

SELF INITIATED PROJECT Process Journal Holly Thomson

RE-DESIGNING RETIREMENT A project exploring re-designing retirement in the UK, and aiming to change the way that we view the ‘third phase’ of life.

Click the circle to view my project sketchbook on padlet.

Key Terms Ageism Prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age, especially elderly people.

Project Outline

01

Initial Research

03

Unintended Consequences

05

External Input Day 1

16

Storiographies

21

DOBARA

31

Development Review

35

External Input Day 2

39

Experience Deliverables

44

Making Decisions

43

Develop

51

Branding

53

UX Design

58

Deliver

62

Reflection

84

PROJECT TIME LINE

receiving feedback and advise on design proposal external input day 1

initial research of project brief

Define

developm revie

Discover

unintended consequences

Develop

interviews and user research collecting storiographies and information

1

di ne

ment ew

branding & creating a graphic identity

feedback from external stakeholders

Deliver

external input day 2

UX design initial prototyping

curate & display of final work

iscussing the users eeds and the service deliverables

2

INITIAL RESEARCH I began my initial desk research by reading about and watching various expert opinions and views on ageism and the ways in which we view getting older within our society, with a focus on the UK. However, I aslo found researching into other cultures views of their elders really interesting and a stark contrast to the views within the UK. The culture of ageism within the UK was something that I had very little previous knowledge of and I found this to be extremely insightful for forming my understanding of the obvious and more deep rooted societal views of our elderly population, but also the growing ageing population. I also carried out an instagram pole asking young people what word(s) they associate with the term “old people”. I found that although there were many positive associations with the term, there were much more negative responses, with even slang that millennial use to refer to older people coming through.

Another part of my desk research was researching how older people were portrayed in the media - both the good and the bad. I tried to find some positive ‘role models’ for what growing older can be like, to see more inspiring and positive ways that older adults are shown within society.

3

4

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES 1st Order

2nd Order

less revenue due to a decline in working population

decline in birth rate will mean less carers for elderly and also a bigger dependency ratio

issue in terms of housing & accommodation -> many elderly people cannot afford to live in assisted living facilities

changes in infrastructure such as transport to adapt to an ageing population

more spending on welfare & pensions (currently around 55% of all welfare spending is paid to pensioners)

big impact on NHS -> long-term health conditions increase with age (70% of health % social spending in 2010)

as ageing population grows, retirement age will increase -> workforce could even out universities will reposition themselves to themselves to offer just as much to the ageing as they do the adolescent.

It will be commonplace to find people starting or returning to education in their late 50’s and beyond

5

companies may increasingly adopt a home/office hybrid approach to working after covid-19, indirectly benefiting older workers who may be less mobile

opportunity for ‘new roles’ for people over the age of 65 -> having multiple careers could encourage people to work longer traditional approaches to service delivery for older people will become less appropriate as the population ages and the demographic profile shifts -> joined-up working a& collaboration & effective communication as ageing population grows, retirement age will increase -> workforce could even out people still want to retire at the same age and be provided with the same pension as previous generations

3rd Order

emergence of new markets and demands for new goods & services -> older peoples spending was estimated to be 15% of overall household expenditure in 2008 elderly may remain keen to work at least part time after they reach 65 -> they will be able to fill vacancies/part time opportunities for highly skilled professionals (which young people cannot) people begin to utilise the life experience that only people who have lived long could have -> opportunities for volunteering & social activism -> important in an era of public spending cuts

policy makers begin to understand that ‘older people’ are not just one homogeneous group -> with this acknowledged there may be less of a divide with younger people who share similar characteristics such as ethnicity & sexuality employers will need to create conditions suitable for older people to continue working for longer -> public & private sectors will need to work together on this

government & welfare system struggle to house elderly population as it keeps increasing

6

“We Are Ageist” is a digital publication providing a new outlook on what people young and old should expect to achieve and experience in their life.

7

Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 2019 campaign used an older model on their poster without a mention of the fact that they were elderly.

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Greece

The US/UK

A part of Greek culture called ‘philotimo’ means doing good, is something that kids show when they love/respect their elders

A ‘youth centred’ society, which values attributes such as individualism and independence.

Scandinavia

Planning laws encourage mixed-use development, making journeys from shops and services much shorter & more accessible for older people.

France

In 2004, a law was passed requiring citizens to keep in touch with their elderly parents, following a record high of elderly suicides.

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Korea

Koreans celebrate the elderly, with 60th and 70th birthdays being prominent life events.

They believe that roles reverse and once parents age, it is an adult child’s duty to care for them.

Japan

A rapidly ageing population. Their culture recognises older people as wise and experienced, and it is expected that they live with their children in their culture.

India

Elderly relatives in India often remain head of the household. They help take care of their grandchildren and are viewed as wise and provide advise on a wide range of issues.

China

A lot of respect for their elders. It is seen as dishonourable to place a loved one into a care home, and there is a law in place to ensure that the elderly are not ‘snubbed’ by their children.

10

negative beliefs about ageing generates increased stress for older adults, in turn weakening immune the system and increasing the likelihood of illness

ageism is one of the most accepted forms of prejudice, which many people aren’t even aware of, and is engrained as normative within our culture

the media often portray older adults as incompetent, physically and sexually unattractive, and weak or frail

anti-ageing is a movement which is normal within our society, dictating that any physical signs of age should be hidden and are unattractive

due to the invention of the printing press, and increased literacy rates, the knowledge which had previously only been held by older adults, could now be easily recorded and reproduced

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STAKEHOLDERS Younger Adults 20 - 50

Older Adults 50 - 65

Older People 65 - 100+

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13

14

‘Boomer’ Ancient

Polite

Grumpy

Disabled

Conservative

Neglected

‘Fogey’ Well-Dressed

Lonely Kind Freetime

Wisdom Slow Vulnerable Role Model Crusty

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Cute

Wrinkles

Calm

Experienced

Fragile

Geriatric

Frail

Somber

Tory

Family

Grandparents

EXTERNAL INPUT / DAY 1 From expert input day, I realised that I needed to increase my scope from just older people, to young adults and older adults as well. Although I think that my main stakeholder and user will remain as older people, my research needs to be informed by the views of both younger and older adults, as the culture of ageism is massively influenced by their views. I also think that their views on them growing older themselves are going to be crucial, as I am speculating within the next decade, and so I need to consider both current and future generations views.

Having to curate my research to present to the experts, was a useful way of gathering together my thoughts, and having to decide what areas I had researched enough, and where I needed to go back and research more, or expand on through field research, allowed me to figure out my next steps.

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“I feel a that they are a guilty burden - I feel bad for them but also I don’t think they care about us either” “I don’t want to work my entire life to be too frail to enjoy my retirement”

“I feel uncomfortable around old people” Brexit wasn’t our fault and yet we have to suffer the consequences Our disposable incomes are lower, and housing costs are higher than ever

17

Elderly people do give back to society by helping out with their grandchildren and volunteering

“Younger people don’t understand what older people can and do contribute to our society”

We have to worry about caring for our parents in their old age, which is a financial burden “We dread getting old as we don’t want to be a burden on our children”

“More often now people move away, and so we might not have extended family around us to care for us later in life”

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“I try to keep as busy as possible living at home otherwise I’ll go mad”

“I really value the time I can spend with my family and seeing others”

You work your whole life to be able to enjoy retirement, but it can actually be quite stressful

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STORIOGRAPHIES After speaking with Irene and kirsty in my review, I began collecting “Storiographies” from people ranging from the age of 20 - 60. I asked people to create a life time line in 5 minutes showing their past present and future, with a focus on retirement and living longer.

I then collected the information from the storiographies I received from people, and used them to pick out areas of commonality amongst people’s hopes and predictions for the future. I collected different ages separately to understand how their views differed.

Past

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Present

Future

A selection of the storiographies collected from people of varying ages

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What do people want from their future?

20-25 y/o

have a hobby/craft where I can maybe still earn money

mental and community support

infrastructure to support older people e.g. transport, healthcare

50+ y/o

volunteering/ charity work or taking online classes

opportunity to change jobs

near future

being around family and friends

opportunity to live abroad

far future

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financial security

“I don’t want to be a burden”

Fiona, 74 Just retiring from working in a school as a teacher for 40 years, and doesn’t know what her next steps are...

Needs: to find a rhythm to her day to day life now she doesn’t have a job to go to everyday where she interacts with colleagues

“I’ve worked in the same job for 42 years”

John, 62 Worked in construction for 42 years but his body can no longer handle this everyday manual labour Needs: to find a new role that he can fill that won’t be as damaging to his health & to have his skills assessed to determine where he might fit best

24

state pen becom increasi difficult to a

legal retirement age is 66

2021

after covid, companies increasingly have a more home/office hybrid approach benefiting older workers who are perhaps less mobile

2030

birth rate sees further decline due to sense of fear caused by Covid-19 retirement age increases to 70

fact predictions

25

2

1/4 of worlds population are over 65 nsions me ingly acquire

2036

universities economically reposition themselves to offer just as much to the ageing as they do the adolescent

2040

people begin to save for pensions from a much younger age

2050

65 is no longer considered “old” number of people 60 and above doubles

26

Fiona’s Retirement Journey

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has a lot more free time

mee friend to k

Key Moments

decides to retire from job

Thoughts

he has enjoyed this job, but she feels ready to retire

enjoys this at first

Emotion

happy, bitter-sweet

content

ets up with ds and tries keep busy

doesn’t know what she wants to do with her time now

tries to take up some new hobbies/clubs

not sure how to do this begins to miss the routine she once had

bored, lonely, useless

didn’t have time for this in the past

lost

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John’s Retirement Journey

Key Moments

Thoughts

Emotion

29

has to retire at age 61

retires and spends his time at home with his wife

he knows that he has to for his health but is very used to this routine and the friendships he has there

he enjoys this and has time to spend with his family and friends

unsure

happy

still has to work for financial reasons

has to go to job centre to try and get a new job

ageism makes getting a new job more difficult doesn’t know how to do this as he feels “too old” now

stressed, under pressure

has had his job for so long he doesn’t know what else to do

insecure, uncertain

30

DOBARA I was fortunate to be able to interview the creative director of DOBARA, a senior-wellbeing network based in Hyperbad, India, who are “re-imagining the experience of ageing”. We discussed the way that DOBARA was first founded and how it has changed over time, and I was able to hear some really inspiring stories of people “ageing actively”. I was also able to discuss my project and what direction I was taking my design from the current research I had gathered from other people I had spoke to. It was really rewarding to hear that my research was leading me to the right outcomes, as Sameen was really encouraging of my work, and was interested in helping me develop it. I also gathered some really useful insights for finding my final deliverables from asking her about her predictions for retirement in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Sameen, and what was meant to be a 20 minute interview ended up lasting over an hour. It was really rewarding to have her agree and be passionate about my current research and work, but it was also just fascinating to speak with someone who has so much knowledge and experience surrounding this topic.

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“we are so focused on keeping people alive that we forget there needs to be a reason to live”

“once that honeymoon phase is over you are hit with a reality that you aren’t happy”

“there are seniors who need a routine, who want to do something productive...we ask them what they want ”

“they have forgotten that they have to be worried about their mental wellbeing” Key quotes from my interview with sameen.

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financial planning is one of many other storiography results

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all current retirement planning is financial

“they have forgotten that they have to be worried about their mental wellbeing”

persona had his job for so long he doesn’t know what else to do

“there are seniors who need a routine, who want to do something productive”

persona began to miss the routine she once had

“once that honeymoon phase is over you are hit with a reality that you aren’t happy”

persona had to retire due to health issues, even though he still needed to work

“you planned your life with something in mind and now it has changed”

retirement planning is about more than just finances

mental wellbeing and what you do with your time needs to be considered as well

any new role’s should be means tested opportunity to change jobs/ continue education

a way of slowly winding down your working chapter of your life

opportunity to have more free time

that free time should be filled in some way so not to be isolating

you’re abilities change over time

plans should be something that change over time with you

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DEVELOPMENT REVIEW From presenting my current findings/deliverables and next steps at the development review, I found that my research was clear and that the deliverables I had found made sense to everyone on the call. There was also an interesting discussion surrounding the life time line, and how it was not a linear thing, especially when it reaches the third phase of life. However, I realised that there was a need to now visualise this concept, as although I had the deliverables in writing and the evidence to support it, this now needed to become a real-life, tangible thing. I needed to imagine what the ideal journey is for someone in this new ‘third phase’ of life.

The development review feedback gave me a big push forward to move away from the text heavy based research I was currently presenting and beginning to explore and ideate the system that I currently had in mind for the project. My next steps were to try and get the idea that I had in my head, and communicate it visually. I also needed to explore the users I had created further and project them into the future.

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THE FUTURE UNIVERSITY Universities will reposition themselves to offer just as much to the ageing as they do the adolescent.

It will be commonplace to find people starting or returning to education in their late 50’s and beyond.

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THE FUTURE WORKPLACE After Covid-19, and in an effort to retain older workers, offices adopt a home/office hybrid approach to work, benefiting older adults who are less mobile, ensuring that work is still accessible to them. Snowbird schemes also become commonplace for workers over the age of 50 as another incentive to retain older workers

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THE FUTURE OF “OLD” 80 is the new 60! With people living longer and healthier lives, the third phase of your life has endless possibilities.

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EXTERNAL INPUT / DAY 2 This time round I was able to speak to some people who had previously seen my work, and some people who had not, which was really valuable, as I was able to make sure that my project was well explained to those who had not seen it before, but was also able to see if my progression made sense to those who had. My main takeaway was that I was making my decisions based on the wrong information. I currently had been addressing the issue of narrowing down the scope of the service by deciding simply on one aspect, such as Education or Working, when really I needed to focus on the user to get the right outcome here, which most likely would be a few of these things.

My next steps from here were to make decisions based on my user rather than based on the service output itself, as I previously had been. The question of what exactly the service provides, which I needed to narrow down, and who would provide this system, relate directly to WHO I am designing for, and so I next needed to map out the potential journeys of users to find their wants and needs.

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I have retired entered the third phase of life.

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I adapted my life time line to highlight the similar experience which occurs for those in their 50’s, to people in their late teens/20’s, when you have to think about “what next?”. From the development review it was clear that I had been thinking about the life time line as too linear, when really there are infinite ways in which it can change and a lot of ways in which it overlaps.

0

20 first phase

41

40 second phase

50

60

70

100+ third phase

EXPERIENCE DELIVERABLES

ADAPTABILITY as an individual you change greatly over the third phase of your life, and so this system should allow for you to change your plans alongside the other changes in your life e.g. health, finances.

ACCESSIBILITY it is crucial that this service can be reached by it’s intended audience with ease and can be accessed over and over again.

COMMUNICATION it is important that the language used and the outcome provided from this service is easy to understand to older users, and that the service itself can be easily navigated.

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MAKING DECISIONS My first big decision I had to make was WHO this system was provided by. I explored this by first looking at who the viable providers of this could be, which essentially came down to two main groups: Government or Grassroots? I considered mainly the accessibility of both of these options and how the results of what the service delivered may vary between the two. If this was a grassroots/community led system, I concluded that this could provide a more targeted response, as the users would be more specific and perhaps be known as they were local.

I also considered that this may be a less digital system which definitely have the benefits of human interaction and maybe being more accessible for those who were more technologically challenged.

However, I ultimately decided that I wanted this system to be government led, through policy and a supporting service. I concluded that this would provide a more uniform system, as if it was provided by different communities the results and quality of the service may vary, and the audience that the system would reach would also be broader, if government led. I also decided that the issue of an ageing population directly effects the government, and so this would and should be something which they use to address the concerns which come with an increase in our ageing population.

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Government policy put in place to help cope with increasing ageing population

Digital service aimed at everyone aged 55+

Alerted to this service when you reach this age through social media/government alerts

“Design your Third Phase” Review your skills and different options 45

Designing a Service for Older Users USERS WITH IMPAIRED SENSES visual impairments are a huge issue among older adults and so visual accessibility is critical when I am designing the interface, for example using more visual prompts such as labelling icons and ensuring that the size of text and shapes are not too small.

MEMORY & CONCENTRATION for many people there are cognitive declines which occur with age, and so some tasks, even simple ones may take longer than they would for a younger user. Having a minimalist design to my interface and using progressive disclosure to help guide the user through the website will help with this.

SOCIAL older adults, especially those who spend less time online, tend to prefer to communicate with smaller groups, and so the circle of people you are in contact with through the service should be limited and data privacy of those using the service should be monitored closely.

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home/logo

login/sign up

how’s it going?

adapt your routine

Initial service plan from sketchbook trying to map out how the user navigates the system and what screens there needs to be.

view other options

calender

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welcome

skill assessment results

skill assessment

option generator

enter personal information

double check HMRC info

specific questioning

build your ideal third phase

present options

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System architecture for the service - mapping out the different options and actions required for the user to navigate the service and for the system to function properly.

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DEVELOP From expert input day and beginning to develop my final outcome, I realised that my intended user was someone in their 50’s\60’s beginning to plan this phase of their life. From this I was able to begin to plan out the deliverables of this system, catered to this specific group. I began by doing rough frames of what I thought the service might initially look like. I then began using this rough template to start doing some user testing, to investigate how people from my user group would react to it and how they might change the current deliverables of the service. I also decided to take a look at my user group, and give the area of the life time line that I am addressing a name. I therefore split it into 3 ‘phases’, allowing me to move away from words like ‘later years’ and ‘retirement’.

I also decided that the service should be available as both an online platform and an app, so to be accessible to users of different age groups, with different technological preferences. The app allows users to access the service from phones and tablets, and is especially suited to returning users, who are wanting to review their options, or are third phase mentors. The online service may be more suited to first time users, and allows users to access the service from any device. It also gives the option of a larger screen, which can aid the experience of I think that I had been looking at my intended user group too broadly, and this had been limiting me from making decisions as to what the service would provide. Once I understood who I was targeting this at, it made it easier to begin to map out the different services and interfaces required by this service.

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What is your “third phase”?

0 - 20’s your traditional education years

people 25+, who are beginning their careers, families, and “settling down”

1st Phase

2nd Phase

0

20

40

3rd Phase 50

70

100+

people 55+, who are beginning to think about their future in terms of work, retirement and lifestyle

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BRANDING When branding the service, I chose the name ‘third phase’, as I wanted to move away from the traditional way we view the retirement stage of our lives. I found from my research, that the word ‘retirement’, had connotations, which I feel don’t describe the service which I am trying to create. I therefore decided to look back at the life time line I created, where I split the different major stages of life, into 3 phases, and call it ‘third phase’.

I based the design around the idea of designing your third phase, by using building blocks for the main graphics and icons, to symbolise this idea. I tried to make these icons easy to understand and annotated to ensure they would be easy to understand. The colour scheme I went for is mellow greens, with an accent orange colour. I consciously chose to not use a blue colour scheme, as I found that during my research this was the colour scheme mainly used for services and charities currently in place for older people. I also found this to be too clinical, and so decided to choose a colour scheme that seems happy, and minimalist, but not too washed out.

After my curate and display meeting, I moved away from my original slogan of “build your third phase”, as the initial feedback was that it was not immediately obvious what your ‘third phase’ was, and so using the same word in the slogan was repetitive, and unnecessary. It was incredibly useful to get some input from people who had never seen or heard of my project, as this comments became instantly obvious once pointed out to me. I therefore changed it to “create your next chapter”, as I was keen to stay away from the word ‘retirement’, but still needed a word which described that the service is addressing a certain period of your life.

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Logo iterations

Slogan iterations

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UX WORKSHOP I really wanted to be able to get some input on how I put together the design of the service, past simply asking some questions over the phone, as I am not the intended user group of the service. I was fortunate to be able to run a physical workshop with a few people from my intended user group. I asked them to test a few variations of some physical UX prototypes I had mocked up, to receive feedback on how it worked, and if there was anything they thought should be added or changed. I also showed them the initial XD mock-up of the service to receive feedback on the areas of the service I did not mock up physically.

I was able to gain really useful insights on the best ways for their information to be collected. From this I was able to begin to plan out the service, to mock up on XD. I created an information architecture, to plan out the interfaces and actions necessary for the service to work. This ended up being very helpful when I was mocking up the service for the first time, as I had a reference for what I roughly needed to follow.

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Exploring the grid system approach to planning your life, through using paper UX mock-ups. I asked the users to try and plan the third phase of their life this way. I also took them through the prototype website with the 3 stages to get their feedback on the clarity, and ease of use of this. I main feedback I received was on the labelling of the different categories, and how I divided them up.

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I next compared this to a calender approach, instead of a grid, and asked the users to attempt to plan their third phase by looking at a general week in their life. It was evident from the reactions and the feedback I received that this was much more difficult, due to it being too specific and required the user to have to divide the squares even further to try and factor in small parts of their life (e.g. a 20 minute yoga session).

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DELIVER The final review was my first opportunity to receive some feedback on the final service concept and branding, but also to see if the service made sense, and/or if there were parts of the system that were missing. It was suggested that making a sort of ‘collective intelligence’ network, where there could be a connection to others who had used third phase to navigate their future, might be a good addition to the service. I decided to take this forward and create another section of the service which would allow people to look at other people’s third phase stories, to inspire them. I also decided to add a map, as a way of viewing the options in your area, as I thought this could be a visual way of showing people what was on offer around them. From here I was able to build the final service prototype and create advertisements for the service.

Third phase is a government funded service for people in their third phase of life, to help navigate their future, and look at their later years of life differently. It aims to help people understand what their skills are and discover what options are available to them in their third phase of life.

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Service Values

User Specific

Opportunity

shows people the opportunities that they have, allowing the to easily understand their potential

Autonomy

gives people a control over their lives, at a time when you feel like you are maybe loosing it

Comfort

eases the transition for people from their second phase to their third phase, making it less intimidating and easier to navigate

Societal

Combating Isolation

providing people with ways to productively fill their time will help combat elderly isolation and mental health issues

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Changing Perceptions

reinventing the stereotype surrounding old age and retirement

Ageing Population

combating the effects of an ageing population by encouraging older people to give back to society beyond traditional ‘retirement years’

The Stages of Third Phase How do you get enough information to understand the options that they need?

1

Personal information & HMRC confirmation

2

More in depth questioning on past experiences

3

Build your ideal third phase by choosing how you want to fill your time

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thirdphase.co.uk

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1

Personal information & HMRC confirmation

any additional information on their past experiences that they can provide

user logs in and their work history is acquired through HMRC. It is displayed on a time line, which can be edited if there are any inaccuracies

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2

More in depth questioning on past experiences

multiple choice and written answers on past experiences to gather more understanding of user

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using progressive disclosure to help guide user through the website

3

Build your ideal third phase by choosing how you want to fill your time

user can “build” their third phase by dragging the blocks of their choice into the box, to represent how much of their time they wish to fill with that

key to show which categories are represented by which colours

using shapes to create visual accessibility for older users

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Outcome

Build your ideal third phase by choosing how you want to fill your time

user can read easily navigate what options are available local to them

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Map Feature

Allows people to navigate the options local to them

... or they can view their options as a list by selecting whichever category they would like to see from their week proposal

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Third Phase Mentors

Talk to like minded people about their third phase experience

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Personas

Julie, 54 Has not worked since her 20’s Spent the past 20 years of her life raising children Did not go to university but has experience working with others, in an office environment

Neil, 63 Worked as a teacher for the past 40 years Enjoyed his job but doesn’t feel he can work as many hours anymore He also wants a change of lifestyle as he has had the same career for a most of his life

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User journey of Julie, showing one perspective of following the process of third phase.

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User journey of Neil, showing a different perspective of discovering and using third phase.

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Word of Mouth

showing a friend third phase, as they were recommended it from their HR department at work

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Advertisement

advertisements on social media or around the city

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Third phase can help you re-imagine your retirement and discover what options are available to you.

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Final poster image for third phase, showing someone discovering third phase, and then the outcome of them using the service, to find a hobby that they enjoy.

create your next chapter

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Click on this hyper-linked image to view the final video

or click the link here https://youtu.be/xiYXhyTyMsI

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FEEDBACK During the final weeks of the project, I sent my project to the charity Dobara that I was working with to try and get some feedback from people who had experience in helping people through the third phase of their lives. I tried to get some feedback from HR at gsa, but unfortunately they had no time to look it over. I aim to send my project outcome to some other HR departments and intended users to get some feedback on the tangibility of my design.

This feedback was really encouraging to receive and it was good to have to put together my project in a proposal for real life stakeholders, both in preparation for the final hand in, but also for experience in how I present my work when I am trying to communicate with people outside of my course.

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“So well done and the steps so well planned out. We are in awe.

You really captured the essence of the “third phase” ! ... I can see the real world application of your project so clearly, it is outstanding!”

Sameen Ansari, Creative Director at Dobara

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REFLECTION Although I struggled at first to choose what I wanted to focus my self initiated project on, I found somewhat accidentally - an area that was interesting, but also had much more to it that I thought. Even from my early research stages, I found that I was looking at all age groups, rather than just at older adults, as I had thought I would be.

I was fortunate that I was able to conduct some field research through my storiographies and phone interviews, despite there being some limitations as to the number of older adults I could contact. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to connect with the charity Dobara, whose director Sameen was invaluable as a resource to gather research from, but also as someone with a genuine passion for changing the perceptions of ageing, to follow along my project. The final service was interesting to make, as I tried to adhere to guidelines for designing for older users, something which I had not experienced before. Working in animation gave me the ability to create things that I couldn’t have filmed remotely , and meant that my work had a strong brand identity.

To reflect, although I am happy with the projects outcome, I feel the poster I created was not as impactful as I would have liked. Due to time, and restrictions my image showing “what you can do with your third phase” was someone in an online yoga class, when I would have much preferred for it be an image of something more niche, to show how diverse the options of your third phase are. This being said, I really enjoyed being able to brand and illustrate this project, and use this in the project outcomes, such as the service outcome df and my animation. I feel that through this project and through speaking with people of all age groups, I have began to think a lot more about how I imagine my ‘third phase’ looking, and I have a different view of getting older.

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