Co-design with older adults: examining and reflecting on collaboration with aging communities
Abstract
Co-design methods have involved older adults in the design process to fill the knowledge gap that younger adult designers might encounter when designing for an aging population. A focus of co-design means establishing equal and equitable relationships between users and designers. To understand the factors that contribute to equal collaborations between older adults and student designers, we conducted 12 co-design sessions with 16 older adults and 11 student designers. We examined their interactions by adapting a framework initially aimed to understand the child-adult design partnership. We also analyzed student designers' reflections to understand their experiences and learnings from designing with older adults. Our findings demonstrate that developing a design partnership is complex. The framework helped surface factors like sharing life experiences and role ownership that influenced balanced or unbalanced interactions. Through the student designers' reflections, we found that student designers identified challenges they encountered and the assumptions they had about the older adult population. We believe that immersing students in a co-design experience with older adults and leveraging reflection activities provides an educational and meaningful experience to the design students.
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Older adults are essential stakeholders in the design of social robot systems and contribute immense value to the design of these technologies due to their lived experiences and ability to create interactions tailored to their lives.
“Older adults are essential stakeholders in the design of social robot systems and contribute immense value to the design of these technologies due to their lived experiences and ability to create interactions tailored to their lives (Ostrowski et al., 2021b; Sakaguchi-Tang et al., 2021).”
From Promising directions for human-robot interactions defined by older adults (2024) · cites this paper as Sakaguchi-Tang et al., 2021
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Palonen, M., Turja, T., Castaño-Rosa, R., Ilomäki, S., Kaasalainen, T., Rantanen, K. K., Pelsmakers, S., Ruusuvuori, J., Valtonen, A., & Kaunonen, M. (2023) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.08.014 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Jamal, S., & Newbold, K. B. (2023) · Urban Governance · doi:10.1016/j.ugj.2023.01.002 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
De, A., Kanthawala, S., & Maddox, J. (2025) · ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) · doi:10.1145/3715275.3732055 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“Additionally, much of critical design research—particularly in areas such as intersectional [60], universal [38], inclusive [1], and dynamic [49] design—thrives on community-centric [96] and interpretative approaches [117].”
Palmier, C., Rigaud, A., Ogawa, T., Wieching, R., Dacunha, S., Barbarossa, F., Stara, V., Bevilacqua, R., & Pino, M. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/48126 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“However, studies have shown that not all potential target users are included in the development of these devices [37,87,88].”
BackgroundCunningham, J. L. (2023) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3544549.3577057 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Extending our prior work to develop equitable and participatory approaches [10, 13, 31, 38], I will work with our partners to collectively define workshop conditions (locations, occurrences, dates/times, engagement norms) to ensure integrity and respect throughout our engagement with organizations.”
BackgroundTacca, C., Galvez, A. V., Thompson, I. M., Bincalar, A. D., Tremmel, C., Gomer, R., Warner, M. B., Freeman, C. T., & schraefel, M. C. (2025) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/75667 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Co-design Co-design works by establishing an equal relationship between users and designers, and encourages the active participation of users early and often in the design process [87].”
InfluentialCrafting the Unspoken: Engaging Japanese Older Adults with Data Physicalization Workshops
Li, C., Zhao, J., Nohara, K., & Sato, C. (2025) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3715336.3735721 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Materials are foundational to data physicalization, as they facilitate shared, hands-on experiences that bridge knowledge gaps and stimulate creative input [80].”
User Experience of Older Adults With an Age-Friendly Transportation Planning E-Tool: Scoping Review
Givi, S. B., Gagnon‐Roy, M., Pigot, H., & Provencher, V. (2025) · JMIR Human Factors · doi:10.2196/63273 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Designing a Multimodal Robot Pet for Older Adults by Young Adults
Alhouli, S. Y., Almania, N. A., Ahmad, M., & Sahoo, D. R. (2025) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3706599.3720083 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“This approach has led to methodological innovations for an equal cooperative partnership between young and older adults [53, 61, 69].”
Playing with persona: Highlighting older adults’ lived experience with the digital media
Hjorth, L., Sheahan, J., Figueiredo, B., Martin, D., Reid, M., Aleti, T., & Buschgens, M. (2024) · Convergence The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies · doi:10.1177/13548565241247415 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Maximizing older people’s access to primary health care centers in Lebanon: a co-design approach
Dableh, S., Frazer, K., Azar, M., Hamadeh, R., & Kroll, T. (2025) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daaf077 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Exploring Generative Postcard Futures with Older Adults
Sheahan, J., Cardamone, E., & Vines, J. (2024) · Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3677045.3685502 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“…fiction – built on participatory de-sign work that has investigated older adults’ needs and confronted stereotypes around their abilities [5, 20, 21, 24] – have promoted a more dynamic understanding of participant authorship and the social consequences of imagining technological futures [2, 16].”
The Role of ICT Tools through a Community Program Co-creation in a Japanese Aging Community
Zhao, J., Chen, D. D., Barbareschi, G., & Sato, C. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3714158 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Ma, X., Fang, X., Liu, S., Wang, X., Wang, P., & Jiang, F. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1523893 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Regalado, F., Santos, C., & Veloso, A. I. (2025) · ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences · doi:10.1145/3706370.3727865 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“In particular, co-design, a participatory design approach [55], is especially effective when working with aged populations, as it closes the knowledge gap that younger designers may have and fosters creative collaboration between stakeholders, including older adults themselves [53].”
Srinivasan, S. S. K., Kumar, M. J., & Singh, P. (2025) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3757624 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Effective technological interventions require a nuanced understanding of older adults’ unique needs and preferences, which differ across diverse demographics as shown by prior scholarship [44, 46, 86].”
Wang, Y., Khayami, H., Lee, B., Lazar, A., Kacorri, H., & Choe, E. K. (2025) · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies · doi:10.1145/3770649 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“We employ co-design, a participatory method proven effective in involving older adults’ perspectives in the early phase of technology design and development [3, 35, 83, 89].”
Pragmatic co-design methodology: a tale of university and retirement village friendship
Ward, A. C., Clarke, G., Close, I., & Wadsworth, D. (2024) · CoDesign · doi:10.1080/15710882.2024.2345912 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Co-design/participatory research with older adults is a diverse and engaging field with multiple innovations emerging in recent publications (Constantin et al. 2022; Ianniello et al. 2019; Sakaguchi-Tang et al. 2021).”
Li, A., Li, J., Geng, Y., Qiang, Y., & Zhao, J. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2025.2530761 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Based on cognitive psychology theories and human-computer interaction co-design methodologies (Sakaguchi-Tang et al., 2021), we developed a VR game prototype to support cognitive and physical training in older adults.”
Kokorelias, K. M., Abdelhalim, R., Saragosa, M., Nelson, M. L. A., Singh, H. K., & Munce, S. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0293329 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Live, Learn, and Connect: Unpacking Live-Streaming-Based Silver Classroom in China
Rong, E. Z., Shen, J., Lu, Z., & Sun, Y. (2025) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3757436 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…a wide range of application domains, including but not limited to entertainment [39, 93], social connections [49, 94], health [56, 77], companionship [19, 61], etc., to various suggested design methodologies, such as co-design [65], inclusive design [16], value-sensitive design [32], and so on.”
Baseman, C. M., Dembure, S. M., Swinger, N., Bondu, M. T., DiSalvo, B. J., & Arriaga, R. I. (2025) · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies · doi:10.1145/3770702 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“The social benefits of this approach to health design have been widely demonstrated, as it fosters mutual learning about health and technology [8] and facilitates relationship building and shared trust [104, 117].”
3-year-olds engage in joint action, but 5-year-olds engage in joint ideation
Majdoubi, N., Benmarrakchi, F., & O’Madagain, C. (2026) · Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2026.106492 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Framework for a participatory co-design approach of urban spaces with older adults
Petrovski, A., & Djukic, A. (2026) · International Journal of Architectural Research Archnet-IJAR · doi:10.1108/arch-12-2025-0578 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Sun, T., Wang, M., Ma, X., & Jeung, J. (2026) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3800645.3813065 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…informed by participatory design scholarship that positions older adults as capable co-creators and experts of their own lived experience [52, 76, 78], emphasizes respectful long-term collaboration with aging communities, and cautions against technology-frst framings that can reproduce ageist…”
Co-Design for Ageing: From Participation to Systemic Change
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New Rural Intelligent Pension Model Based on Big Data Technology
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AGEING COLLABORATIONS: CO-DESIGNING FUTURE TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
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Co-Designing Caregiver Support Groups: Rapid Review with a Non-Profit Organization
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“Co-design focuses on partnership and collaboration from the initial design phase and emphasizes equal and equitable relationships between end-users and researchers, fostering mutual learning, trust, and reciprocity (Carroll et al., 2021; Sakaguchi-Tang et al., 2021).”
Passive participatory systems - unpacking personal participation
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Ageing in a More Inclusive Place Thanks to the Cultural Heritage of Made in Italy
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In This Special: Co-Designing Consumer Technology With Society
Farthing, R., Michael, K., & Pitt, J. V. (2024) · IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society · doi:10.1109/tts.2024.3454936
Hearing Heritage: Conveying and Preserving Cultural Expressions
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MyTime: Co-Designing a Hybrid Digital Boardgame for Supporting Meaningful Family Life Storytelling
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“This approach has been increasingly adopted in research involving older adults to ensure the designed system reflects their needs and values [23, 30, 31].”
Moving Together: A Co-Design Study on Wearable Materials and Aesthetics for Active Ageing
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“This collaborative methodology cultivates reciprocal learning, enhances the user experience and acceptance of new technologies, and is particularly suitable for technologies enhancing physical activity and well-being [53, 59].”
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Technological Landscape of Civic Tech: Current Practices and Lessons Learned
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Peng, X., Song, H., Riffle, T., & Shih, P. C. (2026) · International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) · doi:10.1145/3797867.3828988
“Throughout, we used accessible language, allowed ample time for responses, and remained attentive to power dynamics between researchers and older participants [48].”
Relational Co-Design for Single-Sided Deafness: Designing Beam through Lived Experience
Kunesh, L., Kunesh, K., Murugu, H., Qiao, Y., & Kacorri, H. (2026) · International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) · doi:10.1145/3797867.3832760
“These challenges are particularly relevant in educational settings, where project timelines are often limited despite growing interest in co-design as a pedagogical approach [31, 34, 35].”
- Authors
- Sakaguchi-Tang, D. K., Cunningham, J. L., Roldan, W., Yip, J., & Kientz, J. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
- Published
- 2021-10-13
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- CSCW2
- Pages
- 1-28
- ISSN
- 2573-0142 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3206094771
- Cited by
- 74
- References
- 74
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 14.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE 1256082)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Design Education and Practice
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
- Keywords
- co-design, older adults, design for aging, design partnerships, student designers, design education, reflective activity
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