Innovative Design Guideline for Smart Healthcare Products in an Aging Society

Abstract

Entering an aging society is a social dynamic that affects economic structures, quality of life, and public health systems particularly in everyday elderly healthcare, where risks of chronic diseases and accidents increase due to age-related physical decline. Although a wide range of health-monitoring products and smart products are now available, most designs primarily target working-age users or those familiar with technology. This creates a usability gap for older adults who may face limitations in perception, mobility, and digital literacy. This research focuses on identifying suitable attributes of smart health products for older adults and developing industrial design guidelines that integrate functionality, user experience, and aesthetics.

This research has two objectives: 1) to explore the required attributes of smart healthcare products that are appropriate for older adults, and 2) to identify design approaches for smart healthcare products that respond to older adults’ needs. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including in-depth interviews with five healthcare experts, an evaluation of four prototype design approaches by three industrial design experts, and a satisfaction survey with older adults.

The research methodology began with secondary data review and the collection of 24 case studies of smart healthcare products that had been published or received international awards, in order to classify usage formats and types of technology. Research instruments were then developed as in-depth interview protocols, and interviews were conducted with five experts in older adult healthcare to assess the suitability of different smart health product features. A suitability rating criterion was applied to rank these features. Next, the findings were used to develop four prototype concepts, focusing on a body temperature measuring device for older adults as an experimental platform to explore form, grip and handling, light/symbol-based feedback, and overall user experience. Subsequently, three product/industrial design experts evaluated the suitability of the four prototypes across multiple dimensions, including design concept, form/size, color and surface texture, strength/safety, materials, and functional features. In addition, quantitative data were collected from 15 older adults aged 60 and above, following a user-centered approach through direct observation of users’ needs and contexts and prototype testing. Satisfaction was measured using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, and the results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The research findings indicate that: 1) Based on the analysis of 24 smart healthcare product samples, the products can be classified into three main usage categories: wearable devices, portable devices, and home-based and service devices. Across these categories, commonly observed technologies include sensor systems, connectivity with smartphones or the Internet of Things (IoT), and alert mechanisms for safety or monitoring. 2) Interview results and suitability ratings from five healthcare experts reveal that the most appropriate attributes for older adults are body temperature measurement, blood pressure measurement, heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, blood oxygen measurement, and sleep detection, while fall detection was rated as moderately suitable. In contrast, blood glucose monitoring and gluten detection in food received low suitability ratings. 3) The researcher used these findings to develop four prototype concepts, employing a body temperature measuring device for older adults as a test case to explore form, grip/handling, light or symbol-based information display, and status communication. Evaluation by three industrial design experts across multiple dimensions—concept, form/size, color and surface texture, durability/safety, materials, and functional features—found that Prototype 3 achieved the highest overall suitability. The criterion “the design concept is interesting” was rated at the highest level (x̄ = 5.00, S.D. = 0), while criteria related to appropriate form/size are appropriate and easy to use, colors and texture are attractive, non-hazardous materials, safe durability, and functional usefulness were rated high (x̄ = 4.67, S.D. = 0.58); strength and safety were also rated high (x̄ = 4.33, S.D. = 0.58). 4) Prototype testing with 15 older adults showed that Prototype 4 received the highest satisfaction across nearly all aspects, particularly clear and engaging information display (x̄ = 4.93), technological modernity (x̄ = 4.80), and color/surface texture (x̄ = 4.73). These results suggest that prototypes with clear status communication, reduced learning burden, and appropriate aesthetics are more suitable for older adults’ use. Therefore, classifying smart health products by usage patterns and technologies, together with defining essential and suitable healthcare attributes for older adults, provides a design strategy that links ergonomic principles, light- or symbol-based information communication, material safety, and a balance between aesthetics and usability. The outcomes can be extended as a framework for developing and evaluating smart health products for older adults, contributing to industrial design scholarship and digital health innovation for effective monitoring, follow-up, and risk prevention in aging societies in a sustainable manner.