Co-designing Digital Technology Strategies with Older Adults
Working with older adults to develop practical strategies that build digital confidence and reduce perceived technology risk
This Shaping Connections project worked with older adults to co-design practical strategies and resources that build digital confidence and respond to real experiences of technology risk.
Building on earlier research into perceived digital technology risks, the project moved from understanding the barriers older adults experience to developing practical responses with them.
Why this research matters
Digital inclusion is not only about access to technology or learning technical skills. Confidence, perceived risk, trusted support and individual goals can all influence how older adults engage with digital technology.
This project explored how research findings could be translated into practical strategies by working directly with older adults rather than designing solutions on their behalf.
How this research was conducted
1
2
3
4
Exploratory interviews and survey research.
Explore and quantify
Understand
Digital ethnographic interviews exploring older adults' experiences of technology and perceived risk.
Co-design
Online and face-to-face participatory workshops involving older adults in developing practical responses.
Disseminate
Reports, webinars, workshops and practical digital resources.
What we learned
Practical tools and resources produced
Interactive Resource Tools
Research impact
The project translated research into practical strategies for supporting digital inclusion among older adults. It demonstrated how co-design, trusted community networks and locally relevant support can help turn research findings into practical action.
The work also strengthened collaboration between researchers, local government, U3A and community networks, creating tools and approaches that could be applied in real community settings.
Building on this research
This project built on the Perceived Digital Technology Risks research, moving from understanding the fears and concerns that can limit digital participation to co-designing practical strategies with older adults.
The research demonstrated the value of moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to digital inclusion and recognising differences in people's confidence, goals, experiences and support networks.
This project was funded by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), in partnership with RMIT’s School of Business and Law/School of Economics, Finance and Marketing and The University of the Third Age.
