MY CHANNEL
research & design lead / graphic design
CHALLENGE
Japan is now one of the fastest aging societies in the world, with a whopping 23% of the population aged 65 and over. We are called upon to discover the social issues in the lives of the elderly and design ways for them to live happily together in society. Our team focused on the "loneliness" of the elderly who live alone and have difficulty participating in the local community.
SOLUTION
In the course of our ethnographic research, we learned key insights. One was that the lives of the elderly are dependent on newspapers and television; the other was that there is a gap between the daily schedules of the elderly who live alone and much local information, such as community events.
From these insights, we combined the two newspapers to design a new newspaper. We placed a blank line between the TV program and local event information so that users could write in their own daily schedule. This gives users a new opportunity to connect with the local community while choosing their favorite TV programs.
RESULT
We entered the competition "issue+design - Design for a Super-Aging Society" in Japan. We made a presentation at Kobe City Hall, one of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and received the "Best Inspiration Award". This award is one of six grand prizes.
Insights from user research
The lifestyles of the elderly are heavily dependent on TV programs and newspapers.
Elderly people living alone do not participate in the local community.
Even if they know there are community events.
Concept
Side by side with community events and your timetable.
A column for writing your schedule and local events is listed next to the TV section of the newspaper. This will give people an opportunity to visit local events as they build their daily schedule. On the bottom side, include event details and map information.
How to use
Build your own schedule for the day by picking your favorite TV shows.
Check out events in the area that are fit for your free time.
It will gradually create an opportunity for people to visit the community.
Award
