Abstract
Products that surround us have a profound impact upon our lives. When they empower us to complete daily tasks with ease, speed, and dignity they contribute to our well-being and independence. When they generate negative experiences, they can strip us of dignity and erode our independence. Many companies confuse age with ability, which can diminish the value of the final product. This chapter discusses two techniques that address ability by adding empathy to the design process. Real People targets specific individuals. Empathic Modeling simulates physical challenges that designers can experience for themselves.
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Notes
- 1.
There are earlier examples of interest in the topic. For instance, designer Henry Dreyfuss’ 1955 Designing for People and 1960 Measure of Man compiled government databases on anthropometric sizes of men and women for use in product design.
- 2.
OXO’s Good Grips line of kitchen tools were designed by Smart Design to address the needs of everyone, including people with arthritis. They have become closely associated with the concept of Universal Design, design for everyone.
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McDonagh, D., Formosa, D. (2011). Designing for Everyone, One Person at a Time. In: Kohlbacher, F., Herstatt, C. (eds) The Silver Market Phenomenon. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14338-0_7
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