6: Miguel Gómez Hernández on why designers are all wrong about elderly housing

Spanish design anthropologist Miguel Gómez Hernández went to Australia to investigate how industry experts envision the future designs of houses for the elderly. This future vision was all about safety and health, including iPads on the fridge to help people see what to eat, and no carpets or other things that create a risk of falling. But then he started visiting the houses of elderly people and found that they resisted these ideas. For them, there are different things that matter than safety and comfort, namely the joy of a colourful carpet and the need for photos where they can be seen. Miguel is a design-anthropologist teaching and pursuing his PhD at Monash University, Australia. He is researching how older adults and the AgeTech industry envision future older people’s lives with smart-home technologies. He has also taught courses on anthropology, health humanities, usability, and design thinking. Previously, Miguel researched and developed guidelines to design mobile apps and sensors for older people, primarily in the e-health domain. His academic background is an MSc in technology-anthropology in Denmark, and a Dual BA in sociology and political science in Spain and Finland. He also lived in Russia.