Laggards as Innovators? Old Users as Designers of New Services & Service Systems

Involving users in the design process is increasingly discussed as the quickest and most reliable way to capture the requirements and needs of users and consumers (Östlund, 2011; Chen & Chan, 2011; Dickinson & Dewsbury, 2006; Habell, 2001; Kohlbacher & Herstatt, 2011). In parallel, the fastest growing segment of the population in Asia and the West is older people (OECD, 2010). A question, however, is whether their involvement in the design process can accelerate a growing service market and if so, how. This article addresses a knowledge gap, namely, the underestimation of what old people can contribute in the early phases of the development of new services. This gap is a major constraint to providing for a growing older population and a growing service market. The interest in older users appears to be limited to regarding them as test persons in the later part of the design process or as objects for randomized samples exploring consumers’ reactions or use of existing products, adjustments and verifications (Chen & Chan, 2011; Chen & Lee, 2008; Chitturi, 2009; Dahlin-Ivanoff et al., 2010). In a broad sense, this recalls the discussion in design research on whether design should be carried out with or by users (Eason, 1995). However, there is a growing body of literature on human-centered design and user innovation that provides important insights regarding the potential of involving users in earlier phases of the design process (e.g., Bechenau & Fulton Suri, 2000; Davila, Epstein, & Shelton, 2006; Keikonen, Jääskö, & Mattelmäki, 2008; Snyder, 2003; Yoon, 2008). The present study provides an empirical example of involvement of users in the third age (Laslett, 1991) in early stages of service design processes. The article uses the concept of the third age to avoid contributing to stereotypes based on calendar age and to focus on the actual living situation of people (cf. Silvers, 1997). It refers to the period when people fully or partially leave the job market, careers and the most demanding family obligations, but still live a life of relative independence from the support of others. Our study suggests that there is a great potential in providing such users – been arounds – with tools and opportunities to act as sources of innovation in earlier phases of the design process. It argues that such user-driven projects can contribute to the generation of business ideas by identifying unsatisfied needs and potential market solutions. The case makes it clear that the contemporary market does not satisfy the needs of users of the third age. They do not share the needs of previous old consumer cohorts and they are not attracted by new products and services developed for young, ORIGINAL ARTICLE