User Needs Research

Understand technology support needs for a particular user group to drive design and innovation.  

Services:

• Conduct systematic analyses of the scientific literature for a user group/domain.  
• Develop measures to assess needs for a user group/domain.
• Develop and conduct subject matter expert interviews.

Design for Senior Market 

The senior market is a customer base that has been under-tapped by technology developers. We can provide a knowledge base about aging, in general, and, more specifically, expertise about older adults' needs for technology supports, use of technology, attitudes about technology, and needs for training to use a new technology.  

Services:

• Provide guidance for current technologies about marketability for older adult consumers.  
• Provide design and deployment direction regarding technological innovation (e.g., prototypes) that will be marketed to older users.
• Conduct workshops on "Designing Technology for Seniors."

Empirically-Based Design Guidelines

Implement guidelines for engineers and designers that are based on empirical research.  

Services:  

• Develop guidelines based on empirical research of the most critical issues relevant to design for a user group/domain.

Comparative Analysis

Understand competitor products, including their features, and facilitators/barriers to their use.  

Services:  

• Conduct systematic assessment of the features of competitor products.  
• Assess facilitators and barriers for a user group/domain regarding use of competitors products.

Understand potential users' perceptions about a technology to assess what the barriers and facilitators are for adoption.  Provide insights about how to reduce barriers (e.g., redesign, education about misconceptions) and capitalize on facilitators.  

Services:  

• Develop assessment measures based on current models of technology acceptance. 
• Conduct subject matter expert interviews to assess barriers and facilitators to adoption.