An Intersectional Lifecourse Lens and Participatory Methods as the Foundations for Co-Designing with and for Minoritised Older Adults

The design of digital technologies for older adults is often premised on deficit models of ageing that position older people as a homogenous group and as passive users of technology, with an overwhelming focus on meeting practical needs in older age. In response, a growing number of scholars in HCI and Science and Technology Studies (STS) are engaging with processes of co-design that situate older adults as experts in their own lives and as central to the design process. These scholars highlight how an essential first phase of co-design is understanding and foregrounding the lifeworlds, experiences and expertise of older adults. This paper responds to these calls, alongside the lack of consideration of minoritised older adults in co-design. It draws on the empirical findings from the first phase of the Connecting Through Culture As We Age project, which places twenty minoritised older adults who identify as disabled, and/or racially and/or socio-economically minoritised, at the centre of a digital innovation process. Through a case study approach, we focus on two of the minoritised older adults involved, to demonstrate the value of bringing together participatory methods with an interdisciplinary lifecourse lens. We highlight the power of this approach for understanding minoritised older adults’ relationships with technology, as shaped by experiences across the lifecourse, for building relationships, and ensuring their agency and voice underpin the co-design process.