Manual Co-creation

Providing confidence and independence to your loved ones through co-creation experiences.

Overview

Helping friends and family learn new things can be challenging. Those offering assistance may feel undervalued and exploited, while those receiving help might feel frustrated. What starts with good intentions can quickly become a relationship strain. This activity focuses on building confidence and independence through respectful, enjoyable, and memorable experiences.

Roles

Designer

Researcher

Assistant to Mom

Tools

Notebooks

Pen

Colour Pencils

Stencil Rulers

Marking Tapes

Design Brief

Key Audience

1.

Senior family members and friends who repeatedly seek assistance with the same or similar tasks.

2.

Anyone experiencing frustration from struggling to acquire new knowledge.

Ruels

Don't dictate

Communication is the key. Establish understanding through conversation and empathy.

Respectful Boundaries

Don't be afraid to be firm but remain open minded. Respectful relationship is two-way street.

Build Confidence

It's about building confidence through repeated exposure for long-term independence.

Bonding Experience

Remember to have a fun! You are spending time with your loved ones.

Problem

Supporting friends and family in learning technology can be challenging, often leading to strained relationships.

1

Feeling Undervalued & Exploited

Those providing assistance may feel taken for granted, impacting their willingness to help.

2

Frustration & Uncertainty

Learners may struggle with feeling lost, leading to repeated requests for help.

3

Relationship Strain

What begins with good intentions can escalate into lasting conflicts.

Solution

Shifting the focus from closing the knowledge gap to building confidence and emotional fulfillment fosters independence.

1

Co-Creation for Agency

Learners design their own record-keeping methods to gain independence.

2

Personalized Record Keeping

Structured methods improve retention and confidence.

3

Collaborative Learning

Shared experiences strengthen relationships and support independence.

Research

Understanding Expectations vs. Reality

To gain insight into people's behaviors, data was collected from online testimonials and in-person interviews. Additionally, key findings from existing programs and studies on senior learning and well-being were analyzed.

Insights

1.

What People Are Saying

2.

What People Are Thinking

3.

What People Are Feeling

4.

What People Are Doing

1.

What People Are Saying

I hate doing tech support for parents who refuse to learn! I want to help but it's really frustrating!

Sometimes you have to be firm and set boundaries.

I don't want to damage my relationship with them.

Don't dictate the terms. Have conversation with them.

I'm lost. What else can I do to make learning easier for them?

Try different things. Help them figure out the best approach. Remember. Don't do it for them. Do it with them.

2.

What People Are Thinking

!

Frustration Over Perceived Time Wasted

People feel their time and effort aren’t valued, creating a sense of unfairness.

?

Friction Over Different Expectations

Repeated, exhausting attempts at communication leave doubts about being truly heard.

...

Maintaining Boundaries in Relationships

People often fear damaging relationships over perceived trivial matters, leading them to hesitate in setting firm boundaries.

3.

What People Are Feeling

Frustrated

Frustrated by lack of progress and understanding.

Anxious

Anxious over negatively affecting relationships.

Impatient

Impatient over lack of care and motivation to learn.

Commitment

Exhausted from unrealistic expectations.

4.

What People Are Doing

Giving Up

Give up on providing proper assistance. Vicious cycle continues.

Overcorrecting

Try to set up boundaries but end up damaging relationships.

Failing to find solutions

Try to explore different approaches but finding no alternative solutions.

Design

Collaboration to Build Confidence

Based on research insights, the design aims to resolve communication issues, provide emotional fulfillment, and build confidence for greater independence. Collaboration with my mother helped evaluate workflows and uncover guiding principles to inspire others.

Activities

1.

Trial and Error

2.

Exploring Options

3.

Finding The Right Balance

1.

Trial and Error

This trial tested the feasibility of co-creation activities. While I typically handled online appointments, I encouraged my mother to book one herself, with me available to guide and answer questions. Despite some resistance, I didn’t do the task for her. The result was encouraging, as she discovered her ability to complete it with minimal help.

2.

Exploring Options

This session focused on co-creating manuals with my mother. We gathered various notebooks and arts and crafts supplies, and she chose a notebook and pen she preferred. Though she considered using the built-in memo app, she realized it wasn’t ideal due to restrictions like input method, customization options, and screen space.

Graphics Aids

Words alone can't help her understand the procedure correctly.

Relevance

Screenshots may contain too many irreverent information.

Flexibility

Memo app has limited room for flexibility or creativity.

Context

Limited split screen function for side by side comparison.

3.

Finding The Right Balance

This session focused on refining the record-keeping process and incorporating more creativity. Her goal was to learn the split-screen function on her tablet and explore different methods of using a translation app. She was especially motivated to learn translation functions, as they would be useful for quickly translating conversations to understand the context of a situation.

Results

Delightful Experience of Building Confidence

She was genuinely delighted with the manual co-creation experience and enjoyed describing the process in her own way. She actively considered things she wanted to learn and felt satisfied with the progress but sought ways to improve her notebook's organization. She even devised her own system, using page marking tapes to color-code activities. Additionally, she proposed improving the manual with dedicated sections and page numbers for more structured categorization.