Aging by Design: Innovation Action Map

The 50-plus population in the United States consists of close to 100 million consumers. Between now and 2030, this demographic will expand by over 34 percent. Additionally, by 2030 roughly 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 years of age and older, for a total of 72 million seniors.

In general, we are living longer and with more health complications. Even with all of this, most of us want nothing more than to remain in the company of our friends and loved ones, stay in places that are most familiar and comfortable to us, and maintain our mental and physical autonomy.

While there are a number of home care products and services on the market that intend to preserve the dignity of the seniors, most are piecemeal solutions that fail to integrate well with other products and services – or real lifestyles – and are often too confusing and difficult to be used effectively. Poor design and aesthetics have limited usability and consumer demand. And at the same time, many organizations have a tendency to center their marketing efforts on society’s sickest and most frail, with an excessive focus on chronic conditions, which creates an unnecessary stigma for the 50-plus population.

frog and AARP have collaborated to introduce Aging by Design: An Innovation Action Map to guide the broader community to create meaningful user-focused products and services for the 50-plus market.

Based on frog’s ethnographic research of the life experiences and care ecosystems of seniors and caregivers, the Innovation Action Map charts four fundamental needs of seniors (identity, sociability, routine, and activity), and chronicles the circumstances and emotional journeys of a set of consumer archetypes. Through guided activities, the action map will help entrepreneurs and organizations empathize with their users, identify real opportunities, and inform the design and development of products and services in areas ranging from preventative care and wellness to managing chronic conditions to promoting independent living.

With Aging by Design, frog and AARP seek to spark conversations and enable innovation that will make aging comfortably, safely and joyfully – wherever you call home – a reality for greater numbers of people.