Short answer

When designing smart care services for older adults, actively measure and analyze their emotional responses using frameworks like PAD to identify specific areas for improvement beyond functional aspects.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Frontiers in Public Health (2025)
Method: Mixed-methods research (qualitative and quantitative)
Evidence: Strong effect

Quantifying the emotional experiences of older adults through a framework based on Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) theory and service design thinking can lead to targeted improvements in smart care service systems. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Frontiers in Public Health. Using Mixed-methods research (qualitative and quantitative), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing smart care services for older adults, actively measure and analyze their emotional responses using frameworks like PAD to identify specific areas for improvement beyond functional aspects.

Study

User-Centred DesignNew This WeekStrong effect

Emotional Experience Framework Enhances Smart Care for Older Adults

Frontiers in Public Health · 2025

Key Findings

01An emotional experience evaluation system for smart care services for older adults was successfully constructed, incorporating PAD theory and service design principles.
02Quantitative data on older adults' emotional experience tendencies and emotional requirement assessments for various system indicators were obtained.
03Specific improvement strategies for smart care service systems were proposed based on the analysis of emotional and demand dimensions.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Develop a user emotional experience questionnaire based on PAD dimensions (Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance) and apply it to users interacting with a service prototype. Analyze the results to identify emotional gaps and inform design iterations.

Project actions

01Consider using established psychological models like PAD to structure your emotional evaluation.
02Combine interviews and observations with quantitative surveys to get a richer understanding of user emotions.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can an emotional experience evaluation framework, informed by PAD theory and service design, be developed and applied to quantitatively assess and improve smart care service systems for older adults in Chinese community settings?

MethodMixed-methods research (qualitative and quantitative)

ProcedureThe study employed qualitative methods to understand older adults' experiences within smart care services. Service scenario interaction touchpoints were mapped, deconstructed, clustered, and transformed. Evaluation indicators were established across smart devices, online software, and offline services to build an emotional experience evaluation system. Quantitative methods were then used to measure user emotional valence, assessing emotional experience tendencies and emotional requirement assessments.

ContextSmart care service systems for older adults in Chinese community settings.

Variables

IVSmart care service system components (devices, software, offline services).

DVUser emotional experience (tendencies and requirement assessment based on PAD).

CVDemographic characteristics of older adults, specific community setting.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Integrates psychological theory (PAD) with practical design methodology (service design).
+Employs a mixed-methods approach for a comprehensive understanding of user experience.

Limitations

It can be challenging to accurately measure subjective emotional states, and cultural nuances can significantly influence emotional expression and interpretation.

Reliability & validity

Reliability could be enhanced through repeated measures and inter-rater agreement on qualitative data. Validity would be supported by triangulating findings from qualitative insights and quantitative emotional assessments.

Think critically

To what extent can quantitative measures truly capture the complex and subjective nature of human emotion, and what are the risks of oversimplifying emotional experiences in design?

Design Principles

"Design services that not only meet functional needs but also positively impact the emotional well-being of the user, especially in contexts involving potentially vulnerable populations."

Understanding the emotional responses of users is crucial for designing effective and engaging services, particularly for vulnerable populations like older adults. This approach moves beyond mere functionality to address the psychological and emotional well-being of users, leading to more human-centred and successful design outcomes.

What This Means for Your Design

This study shows how to ask older people how they *feel* about technology designed to help them, not just if it works, so we can make it better for them emotionally.

How to use in your project

1.Use the framework to justify the need for user emotional testing in your design project.
2.Reference the PAD theory as a basis for your emotional measurement methods.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This design project acknowledges the critical role of emotional experience in user engagement, particularly for older adults interacting with smart care systems. Drawing upon established frameworks such as the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) theory, this research aims to quantitatively assess user emotions, moving beyond functional usability to address the affective dimension of the user experience. By understanding emotional tendencies and requirements, design decisions can be better informed to create more empathetic and effective solutions.

Source

Frontiers in Public Health

Improving the smart care service system for older adults: an emotional experience evaluation framework in the Chinese community

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about emotional experience framework enhances smart care for older adults?: When designing smart care services for older adults, actively measure and analyze their emotional responses using frameworks like PAD to identify specific areas for improvement beyond functional aspects. Evidence: Frontiers in Public Health (2025).
Why does "Emotional Experience Framework Enhances Smart Care for Older Adults" matter for design?: Understanding the emotional responses of users is crucial for designing effective and engaging services, particularly for vulnerable populations like older adults. This approach moves beyond mere functionality to address the psychological and emotional well-being of users, leading to more human-centred and successful design outcomes.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing smart care services for older adults, actively measure and analyze their emotional responses using frameworks like PAD to identify specific areas for improvement beyond functional aspects.
What were the main findings?: An emotional experience evaluation system for smart care services for older adults was successfully constructed, incorporating PAD theory and service design principles.. Quantitative data on older adults' emotional experience tendencies and emotional requirement assessments for various system indicators were obtained.. Specific improvement strategies for smart care service systems were proposed based on the analysis of emotional and demand dimensions.
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods research (qualitative and quantitative).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Frontiers in Public Health.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Develop a user emotional experience questionnaire based on PAD dimensions (Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance) and apply it to users interacting with a service prototype. Analyze the results to identify emotional gaps and inform design iterations.
What are the limitations?: The findings are specific to the Chinese community settings studied and may not be directly generalizable to other cultural contexts without adaptation.