Design For Aging-Autonomy

In order to create products and services that stay relevant as people age, designers cannot fall into the trap of trying to control every aspect of peoples lives, or assuming that seniors are a monolithic group who share the same needs. As the solutions here show, there is plenty more work to be done to develop sensitive designs that support older adults while preserving their autonomy.

- Avinash Rajagopal

FURNITURE

In a laudable effort to keep people safe and comfortable as they age, most furniture intended for health-care or senior living spaces tends to be over designed. Sensible features like raised seat heights and sturdy armrests are often combined to create pieces that feel institutional, not elegant. Flexsteel’s Marion line bucks this trend. It unites carefully considered arm heights, back pitch, and seat firmness, but also reflects a contemporary aesthetic. This is important, because seniors are not—and should not be—considered separate or distinct from the general public. In spaces where the aesthetic is both comfortable and current, people can live independently while still being connected to the world around them.

SERVICES