Short answer
Design for adaptability and encourage user-led customization, recognizing that users will often find innovative ways to make technology work for their unique circumstances.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- Ageing and Society (2018)
- Method
- Qualitative research
- Sample
- 39 participants (13 people with dementia, 26 family carers)
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Individuals with dementia and their families creatively adapt and repurpose everyday technologies to meet specific care needs, often replicating the functionality of dedicated assistive technologies. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Ageing and Society. Using Qualitative research with 39 participants (13 people with dementia, 26 family carers), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design for adaptability and encourage user-led customization, recognizing that users will often find innovative ways to make technology work for their unique circumstances.
Assistive Technology 'Bricolage' Enhances Usability for Individuals with Dementia
Individuals with dementia and their families creatively adapt and repurpose everyday technologies to meet specific care needs, often replicating the functionality of dedicated assistive technologies.
Ageing and Society · 2018
Key Findings
- 01People with dementia and their carers repurpose common household technologies to fulfill the functions of specialized assistive technologies.
- 02Successful technology use is characterized by 'bricolage,' involving the unconventional adaptation of tools and methods to address specific, local needs.
- 03Carers are primary drivers of this creative technology adaptation, but often lack formal support from health or social care services, leading to potential frustration and inefficiency.
- 04Standardized assistive technology solutions do not always align with the personalized and adaptive care practices developed by users.
Application
Design takeaway
Design for adaptability and encourage user-led customization, recognizing that users will often find innovative ways to make technology work for their unique circumstances.
How to apply
When designing assistive technologies, observe how users interact with existing tools (both specialized and everyday) and identify opportunities for modularity or customization that support 'bricolage'.
Project actions
- 01Consider how users might adapt your design in unexpected ways.
- 02Observe how people currently solve problems with existing tools, even if it's not the 'official' way.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a rich, in-depth understanding of real-world technology use.
- +Introduces a novel framework ('bricolage') for analyzing user adaptation.
Limitations
It can be challenging to predict all possible 'bricolage' scenarios during the design phase. Support for user adaptations may not always be readily available.
Reliability & validity
The qualitative nature of the study provides rich insights but may have limited generalizability. The validity lies in capturing authentic user practices, while reliability might be enhanced by triangulating findings with observational data.
Think critically
To what extent should designers actively design for 'bricolage,' or should the focus remain on creating robust, standardized solutions that require minimal adaptation?
Design Principles
"Embrace user ingenuity: Design systems that can be easily adapted and repurposed by users to meet evolving or specific needs."
This highlights a significant gap between standardized assistive technology provision and the practical, often improvised, solutions users develop. Understanding this 'bricolage' approach can inform the design of more flexible and adaptable technologies, and better support for users and caregivers.
What This Means for Your Design
People with dementia and their families are clever and use everyday items in new ways to help with care, like making a regular phone do a special job. This is called 'bricolage'.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the concept of 'bricolage' to explain how users might adapt your proposed design or how existing solutions are currently being modified.
- 2.Reference this study when discussing user-led innovation or the limitations of standardized solutions.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research by Gibson et al. (2018) highlights the phenomenon of 'bricolage' in assistive technology use, where individuals with dementia and their families creatively repurpose everyday items to meet specific care needs. This suggests that design solutions should not be limited to standardized functions but should also consider user adaptability and the potential for informal customization.
Source
Ageing and Society
Personalisation, customisation and bricolage: how people with dementia and their families make assistive technology work for them
journal · 2018
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about assistive technology 'bricolage' enhances usability for individuals with dementia?
- Design for adaptability and encourage user-led customization, recognizing that users will often find innovative ways to make technology work for their unique circumstances. Evidence: Ageing and Society (2018).
- Why does "Assistive Technology 'Bricolage' Enhances Usability for Individuals with Dementia" matter for design?
- This highlights a significant gap between standardized assistive technology provision and the practical, often improvised, solutions users develop. Understanding this 'bricolage' approach can inform the design of more flexible and adaptable technologies, and better support for users and caregivers.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Design for adaptability and encourage user-led customization, recognizing that users will often find innovative ways to make technology work for their unique circumstances.
- What were the main findings?
- People with dementia and their carers repurpose common household technologies to fulfill the functions of specialized assistive technologies.. Successful technology use is characterized by 'bricolage,' involving the unconventional adaptation of tools and methods to address specific, local needs.. Carers are primary drivers of this creative technology adaptation, but often lack formal support from health or social care services, leading to potential frustration and inefficiency.. Standardized assistive technology solutions do not always align with the personalized and adaptive care practices developed by users.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research with 39 participants (13 people with dementia, 26 family carers).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2018 journal from Ageing and Society.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing assistive technologies, observe how users interact with existing tools (both specialized and everyday) and identify opportunities for modularity or customization that support 'bricolage'.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on a specific population (individuals with dementia and their carers) and may not generalize to all assistive technology users. The informal nature of 'bricolage' can make it difficult to standardize or measure systematically.