User-Centered Design in AAL: Usage, knowledge of and perceived suitability of methods

This paper presents the results of an online survey conducted in Austria that aimed at investigating the application of User-Centered Design (UCD) methods in projects developing technologies that support older adults in their everyday lives. We explored which methods are known to teams, which methods have been applied in projects developing Active and Assisted Living (AAL) technologies and the perceived suitability of these methods. The questionnaire considered methods for three different phases within the development process: gathering information about needs, communicating these needs to the developers and evaluating systems. Furthermore, we explored which stakeholders are included in gathering information about needs and in evaluating systems. The results show that more general methods that are not specific to UCD, such as interviews and questionnaires, are widely used. Older users were included in most projects, particularly for the evaluation. There was, however, an indication that the information about the needs collected may not be successfully communicated to the developers. Overall, the results support the need to spread information about the breadth of methods available and their suitability to people involved in developing these types of technologies.