Working Longer and Happier: Inclusive Design for the Ageing Workforce
Ting Zhang and Guoying Lu
(Department of Art and Design, School of Design and Art, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 200240, China)
Abstract: This paper estimates the population to be influenced by China’s policy of postponed retirement age and provides design strategies and suggestions in the workplace for the ageing workforce from the perspective of inclusive design. First, the literature review about western design principles and practices for the ageing workforce is conducted. It is estimated that China would face approximately 100 million elderly workers in the near future with diverse physical conditions and demands. However, the design research and practices dedicated to ageing workforce in the workplace are comparatively weak in China. Inclusive design, one of the design approaches mainly focusing on ageing problems in developed countries, as well as its theory and methodology, could act as a good reference for Chinese policymakers and designers. Then based on the concept of inclusive design, a human-centered design model is established and design suggestions from four aspects are presented. Finally, two cases are further discussed to illustrate the idea of inclusive design.
Key words: ageing workforce; inclusive design; human-centered design
China will have around 100 million workers aged 50-65 by 2045 due to the retirement age rise policy implemented under the pressure of a severe ageing problem. Ageing leads to the impairment or loss of various human capabilities and may significantly influence senior workers, especially those still in workplace. Inclusive design, as one of the user-centered design approaches, is an increasingly prominent movement in the context of the ageing society of developed countries in the past two decades. It appeals to design mainstream products and services given its concept of being “accessible to and usable by as many people as reasonably possible, without the need for adaptation or specialist design[1]”. Currently, there are many inclusive research and design practices focused on ageing workforce, which may provide some references for Chinese policymakers and designers.
China has witnessed an increase in the elderly population and at the same time a decline in the workforce, which poses various challenges not only for policymakers but also for designers. According to the latest statistical communique from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC) in 2016, the proportion of the population aged 60 and above is 16.1%, which is predicted to reach 35% by 2050[2]. Fig.1 illustrates the demographic change for the ageing population in China. At the same time, the number of working-age adults in China may fall by more than 10% by 2040, which would translate into a net loss of 90 million workers as pointed out by the World Bank report in 2015[3]. Recently, Chinese government plans to gradually raise the statutory retirement age from 60 to 65 for men and from 50/55 to 55/60 for women (blue-collar workers/ white-collar employees) as a policy response to the shrinking workforce and the ageing population. Raising the retirement age could provide around 100 million more workers by 2045, noted by Ma Li, director of China Population and Development Research Center[3]. Those 100 million workers aged 50-65 will have a greater range of requirements than ever before. It requires designers to think about how our working environment and communications could be adapted and adjusted for this particular workforce. It brings challenges but also opportunities for designers in China.
Fig.1 Ageing population and its proportion in China from 2004 to 2030 (NBSC)
According to the definition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a country or region becomes an ageing society when people aged 60 and above take up 10% of its population, or when the group of 65-year-old and above accounts for 7% of the population[4]. Referring to this definition, almost all of the developed countries have entered into the ageing societies since 1960s. It is reported that by 2020, nearly half of the adults in the European Union will be over the age of 50[5]. The demographic changes in developed countries have influenced their workforce.
People may experience one or more capability losses along with ageing. “Longer life spans mean almost certain experience of age-related capability loss. Reductions in eyesight, hearing, mobility, dexterity and cognition will happen to us all, and disability will be a common experience[6].” Fig.2 illustrates the prevailing capability losses for the UK population. 14.7% of the population have less than full motor ability, 8.7% with less than full sensory ability, and 5.7% with less than full cognitive ability[7]. According to the latest survey by China Disabled Persons’ Federation in 2010, there are over 85 million physically challenged people in China, representing 6% of the total population[8]. The percentage of different groups with certain disabilities is shown in Fig.3. It should be pointed out that the data represent the number of people defined as “disabled”, in which those people with capability impairment or loss are not included. The total population in need for better design in workplace is actually much larger than that.
Fig.2 Prevailing capability losses (inclusive design toolkit website)
Fig.3 Percentage of physically challenged people in China in 2010
It is significant for workers as well as designers to understand that capability impairment or loss is nothing special or rarely seen but something that all of us may experience when entering into the ageing stage. Particularly under China’s current policy of retirement age rise, we are all expected to work longer. We, as designers, not only design for those elderly workers but also for ourselves in the future.
The demographic change in China with an increasing number of senior workers will bring many challenges and also opportunities to designers as follows:
①The increasing number of senior workers will take up a greater share of the market and become the majority in the future. With diverse capability impairments or losses, they may be neglected by bad designs. Therefore, designers and managers should reassess user requirements of their products and services.
②For those elderly people aged 85 and above, various capabilities losses such as vision and hearing impairment are common, which should be considered and echoed in the mainstream designs.
③New generation born in baby boom will not tolerate those designs that treat them as old or disabled. Their attitudes are different from previous generations. That means bad designs will be more and more difficult to be accepted.
Research and practices focusing on ageing workforce should be put on agenda in China. This study tries to answer the questions below:
生产建设项目水土保持监督管理。本区石油、海盐等资源比较丰富，又有天津滨海新区，生产建设项目较多，而且保定市作为首都功能疏解的集中承载地和京津产业转移的重要承载地，生产建设项目必将增加。应加强生产建设项目水土保持监督管理工作，有效控制人为水土流失。
④What are the challenges and opportunities for designers facing the emerging ageing workforce in China?
⑤How do developed countries take care of the ageing workforce through inclusive design?
Based on previous research, this paper suggests a model of human-centered design and offers further advices on the design for senior workers.
⑦What are the design practices for ageing workforce in developed countries and what can we learn from them?
⑥What are the basic theories and principles that we can follow in this domain?
在日常饲喂中需要做好消毒免疫以及定期驱虫工作，进行感染源的有效控制，避免一系列传染病的发生，减少不必要的损失。
1 Methodology
This study focuses on design strategies of the ageing workforce, so the first step is to identify the population scale. An online survey has been conducted to calculate the population influenced by the policy of retirement age rise in China, which concludes that around 100 million people are influenced. Then this paper discusses the design challenges and opportunities in China.
A literature review is carried out to discuss the design strategies in developed countries to deal with the ageing workforce with a particular focus on inclusive design.
3.1.1 树立环保意识，倡导社区参与。旅游活动中涉及的利益相关者除了旅游者和旅游企业，还有旅游目的地的居民，他们也是利益主体。旅游业的发展只有不损害旅游目的地居民利益，并且能让社区居民分享到部分旅游红利，才能保证旅游业的良性可持续发展。2017年9月26日国务院办公厅发布的《建立国家公园体制总体方案》中提出构建社区协调发展制度。社区参与旅游的模式能够最低限度地保留旅游目的地的文化原真性，进而能发动更广泛的人民群众力量保护旅游目的地生态环境的完整性。因此，旅游开发者和政府要积极为当地居民提供就业机会，鼓励当地居民投入到旅游业的发展建设上去，让他们能够参与旅游业，提升生活水平。
例如，教师在教授“投掷实心球”时，就可以为学生创设生活化的教学情境。如组建一个投沙包的游戏活动，让学生积极参与，将教学比赛用投沙包替换成实心球，这样不仅能够激发学生学习兴趣，还能让学生在团体游戏中培养投掷的基本能力。
2 Literature Review
This critical literature review looks at ageing problems and relevant designs for the workplace.
2 .1 Seven principles of Mace[9]
Ron Mace develops and refines a set of seven principles or criteria of universal design, against which designs can be judged. They are: equitable use; flexibility in use; simple and intuitive to use; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; size and space for approach and use.
The Work & City Lab of HHC investigates how designers can make life and work more inclusive and sustainable. The projects involve industrial partners and multi-disciplinary collaboration. They could provide many insights on design for the ageing workforce in China.
2 .2 Transgenerational design[10-12]
The concept of “transgenerational design” is proposed by James Pirkl and his colleagues at the University of Syracuse to advocate products, services and environments which meet the needs of people across a wide range of age and ability. Transgenerational design is a response to the ageing population and the need for products and environments, and as pointed out by Jeremy Myerson, it can be adapted to both young and old people living and, most importantly, working in the same environment[6].
Réhahn是法国著名的摄影师，他出生于法国诺曼底巴约镇。2007年，他首次与法国NGO组织“越南儿童”（Enfants du Vietnam） 一起访问了越南。自2011年以来，他一直居住在越南沿海城市会安。
2 .3 British standards 7000 -6 : design management systems: managing inclusive design[1]
BS 7000-6:2005 provides a technical guidance in response to the needs of companies hoping to design inclusively in UK, aiming at helping their adoption and their commercial prospects[13]. The standard provides business cases built around five key drivers and opportunities, and encourages organizations to: adapt to market changes such as population ageing, new legislation, technological change and the adoption of inclusive design by competitors; understand changing consumer expectations and lifestyles; provide user-centered design through the implementation of ergonomics and human factors principles; maintain workforce loyalty particularly in the context of an ageing population and changing expectations with regards to retirement; build and sustain corporate reputation through innovation and new product development[6].
2 .4 Inclusive design research projects of Helen Hamlyn Centre of Royal College of Art
The Helen Hamlyn Centre is located within the postgraduate creative community of the Royal College of Art. It conducts a lot of design research and projects with the industry to help improve people’s lives. It has three research labs: Age & Ability, Work & City and Health & Patient Safety. The approach taken by each lab is inclusive and interdisciplinary. Work & City research lab investigates how designers can make living and working more inclusive and sustainable. Publications about its work can be found on HHC website[14].
3 Model of Human-Centered Design
Zhang et al. have conducted a pilot study on inclusive design and proposed a human-centered design model as shown in Fig.4. This model summarizes the design characteristics and principles[15]as:
①The central place of human beings;
②Understanding people as a whole;
③Multi-disciplinary collaboration;
④Involving users throughout the design process;
⑤Making products and services useful, usable, desirable, and sustainable.
我觉得自己与这个城市格格不入。在所有的人中，只有我是孤独的。这种感觉让我有些伤感，忽而又有些自豪，毕竟我是与众不同的。我觉得自己好像是一个探险者，在这个一无所知的城市里寻找着与众不同的经历。已经有几年没有这种少年的自作多情了。我不由加快了脚步。
Fig.4 Model of human-centered design (Zhang et al.[15])
At the center of the model is human. “Useful, usable, desirable and sustainable” designs echo different levels of human needs; and such designs involve users, engage different stakeholders and advocate multi-disciplinary collaboration.
This model can be used as a framework of inclusive design for the ageing workforce, not only for working environment but also for those products and services that senior workers interact with. The paper hereby offers four suggestions based on the model:
①The central place of human: when planning or designing working environment, furniture or interaction system, employees should be considered as main users and their requirements should always be put in the central place, especially senior workers. They have equal rights as their young colleagues.
①These two projects focus on ageing workers and put them in the central stage. A lot of work has been done to have an in-depth understanding of the senior workers.
③Providing “useful, usable, desirable and sustainable” solutions: not only employees’ physical requirements but also their higher levels of needs should be taken into consideration as a whole. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if lower levels of needs are satisfied, humans will turn to seek higher levels of needs. Therefore if designs of workplace, furniture, and interaction system meet employees’ physiological and safety needs, other higher levels of needs such as social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs should be taken into consideration as well. As senior workers may suffer from some capability impairment or loss, their needs for social communication and self-esteem and even those for self-actualization should be respected and considered in the design process, which can encourage them to work longer and, most importantly, happier.
④Multi-disciplinary collaboration and involvement of different stakeholders: considering the complexity of the ageing problem, multi-disciplinary collaboration will arouse designers’ empathy on senior workers. For example, occupational therapists and psychologists can help designers understand physical and mental needs of senior workers. Engaging different stakeholders can provide more perspectives of design, which makes it easier to be realized in the collaboration.
泥石流沟谷的空间分布差异较大，通过统计泥石流沟流向，如表2所示，得到泥石流沟流向的分布情况。通过泥石流沟流向表，可以直观的看出，泥石流沟流向分布在60°～110°范围之间，泥石流沟口的流向近乎垂直于河道。
The above suggestions may serve as guidelines for inclusive design for the ageing workforce. In order to illustrate these guidelines more comprehensibly, the paper will discuss about a few cases in the next part.
4 Case Study
The human-centered design model summarizes the characteristics and gives some guidelines about inclusive design for the ageing workers, and they are: the central place of human; involving users throughout the design process; providing “useful, usable, desirable and sustainable” solutions; multi-disciplinary collaboration and involving different stakeholders. All the above elements can be demonstrated in the Work & City Lab of HHC’s inclusive design practices.
高速公路的混凝土结构会随着时间的延长以及外界气候的影响而逐渐出现老化现象，因此要定期对高速公路的混凝土结构进行加固，可使用高速射水装置将高速公路表面损毁的混凝土结构给清理掉，然后再使用黏合剂对损毁的地方进行修补。
4.1 “Welcoming Workplace”
This two-year research project[5] carried out at the Helen Hamlyn Centre, is led by Professor Jeremy Myerson. It is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The project focuses on improving the conditions in open-plan workplaces which echoes two trends in the working world: the ageing of the workplace and the rise of a knowledge-based economy. Jeremy Myerson, the Principal Investigator on this project, hopes to “explore the needs and aspirations of an emerging workforce of people aged 50 and over[16]”. This project aims to provide design guidances for office developers, designers and facilities managers on ways to help senior knowledge workers remain productive at work for longer periods of time[5]. One of the design solutions emphasizes on helping senior workers to concentrate on their work. As one elderly worker complains, “I find it hard to concentrate. My team can all be talking on the phone and I have to concentrate on a financial report. That was a challenge, and continues to be[5].”
Designers have adopted inclusive design approaches throughout the design process, and try to provide spaces for senior workers to undertake tasks that require sustained focus. Several design solutions are presented as follows.
In order to illustrate the idea, two cases from Helen Hamlyn Centre (HHC) of Royal College of Art (RCA) are discussed here.
进口门是单猪进入饲喂过程的入口，设计时考虑到猪的安全性，在门对开处加装橡胶辊；为确保每次只能单猪进入，设计时采用两扇门之间有合理的角度，且有交错重叠部分；门上装有回位弹簧，实现门的及时自动关闭。为实现单猪进食的状态，进口门在复位弹簧及时关闭后，还必须要通过门锁控制系统进行锁定。控制系统包括信号采集和相应的执行机构，利用传感器采集信号，根据信号判断进口门的允许开关情况，再由电机驱动凸轮，并带动弹簧和杠杆装置实现进口门的开关和锁定状态，工作原理如图2所示。
A “rain curtain” (Fig.5) is designed to provide a semi-permeable space divider by using dripping water. It provides peaceful sound, and helps people to concentrate. Water also has a purifying and humidifying effect on air quality. A height-adjustable desk (Fig.6) is created to encourage people to take a healthy posture while working, and offers an alternative for those working all day seated. New media are utilized to produce an intelligent noise-masking system that reduces distracting noises in the office. A simulated dynamic lighting system (Fig.7) is designed to care for ageing workers’ subtle physical and psychological requirements. This adjustable lighting system varies in color and brightness, which can be programmed by users in order to relax, concentrate, or wake up.
Fig.5 Rain curtain
Fig.6 Sit-stand adjustable desk
4 .2 “Work Well”—inclusive furniture for senior office workers
This research project[17] is a work of collaboration between Helen Hamlyn Centre and Kinnarps Office Furniture. As Europe’s third largest office furniture manufacturer, Kinnarps focuses on human and tries to create an environment that inspires, motivates and cares for human well-being. The Work Well project seeks to make work furniture better designed to meet the needs of senior workers. It is based on the opinion that senior workers are experienced and valued employees but few office furniture designs specifically address their needs. The project aims at understanding their needs in workspace and develops inclusive exemplars addressing the specific needs and desires of the ageing workforce. A lot of good exemplars have been designed and an example is presented here.
本数据集KMO=0.84(KMO>0.5)，Bartlett球形检验为显著：χ2=684.08，p<0.001，说明适宜进行探索性因素分析。
Fig.7 Dynamic lighting
HEMET (Fig.8) is a design solution for working in public spaces. It is more and more common to work in public or semi-public places like libraries, transport interchanges, cafe shops, etc. HEMET supports work enabled by wireless services. It provides secure storage for bags in a large side locker and storage for coats in an under-seat drawer. It can offer power, lighting, height-adjustable work surface, and has an integrated side table. It can be used individually and provides a comfortable and compact working environment for senior workers.
针对郁闭度低，且部分区域出现面积较大的空地的林区，在进行森林抚育管理工作时，应当加大人工投入，伐除空地区域的杂草和杂树，并在春、秋两季进行主要树木的补栽，填补林中空地。补种之后，管理人员还应当做好相应的幼林抚育工作，定期修枝，及时施加水、肥，帮助幼木成长。
Fig.8 HEMET
5 Discussion
These two cases demonstrate the characteristics illustrated in the human-centered design model.
②Involving users throughout the design process: users should be involved in each stage of the design process. Senior workers’ requirements and assessments provide important judgements for workplace design and arrangement. According to the philosophy of inclusive design, if all the facilities meet the needs of senior workers, they are user-friendly to young employees as well.
②Their design solutions take the full range of human needs into consideration. Ergonomics, as well as the understanding of the target users’ emotional and subtle feelings, is considered in the design process to meet different levels of human needs. An example is that both dynamic lighting in Welcoming Workplace and HEMET encourages senior workers to work freely in public.
唐飞霄道：“好事赖事，还在大师的一念之间。小生斗胆，请问大师，近日云浮天葬院中，可曾收留了一位中州女子？该女子十六七的年岁，白肤黑发，着绿丝裙，持竹叶刀。”
③They both involve users throughout the design process: As for the Welcoming Workplace, a group of senior workers aged around 50 are actively engaged in each stage of the design process. They are interviewed for design inspirations and design solution evaluations.
④The two projects provide “useful, usable, desirable and sustainable” solutions. The usefulness and usability of the designs are assured by the study of user needs and tests with target users. Introducing natural and personal customization to the workplace is highly desirable, and the design aims to address the future needs of the ageing workers.
⑤Stakeholders’ interests are considered in the two cases. The stakeholders include senior workers, manufacturers who supply furniture and lighting to offices, workplace architects, technology experts, property companies, and public sector organizations. All these stakeholders’ interests are taken into consideration and designers treat them as research partners.
⑥Multi-disciplinary collaboration among academics and industries is yet another feature. Welcoming Workplace collaborates with academic partners in Japan and Australia while Work Well collaborates with office furniture manufacturer Kinnarps.
A framework of inclusive design for the ageing workforce has been established but there are still a lot of difficulties which need to be addressed. It is important for inclusive design to be introduced to the designers and design companies in China. Also, more efforts should be made to help the ageing workforce seek their rights and happiness.
6 Conclusions
China will face an ageing workforce of around 100 million in less than 10 years. The ageing workers’ capabilities and requirements should be taken into consideration by Chinese designers.
Along with ageing, people will experience different levels of capability impairment or loss. Bad designs in workplace, furniture and communication system may neglect those senior workers and make their work tougher. Under the policy of retirement age rise, most of workers or employees will have such difficulties, not only customers but also designers. Therefore making the workplace more inclusive is also to design for our own future.
Developed countries have entered the ageing society for about 50 years. They have rich experience in both design theories and design practices. The British Standards BS 7000-6:2005 together with many research projects carried out by Helen Hamlyn Centre of Royal College of Art can all serve as practical references for Chinese designers.
比较两组症状消失时间及口腔溃疡愈合时间，结果显示观察组各项时间均显著低于对照组（P＜0.05）。详见表2。
Based on human’s different levels of needs, a human-centered model is suggested to provide insights for inclusive design for the ageing workforce.
The authors’ future research will focus on the differences of design strategies between developed countries and China and on forming an appropriate design strategy targeting at the Chinese ageing workforce. In addition, the authors are hoping to conduct further literature review, expert interviews, and small-scale questionnaires.
References:
[1] British Standards Institution. BS 7000-6:2005, Design management systems. Managing inclusive design. Guide [S]. 2005-02-01.
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[12] Pirkl J. Transgenerational design: products for an ageing population [J]. Ergonomics in Design: the Quarterly of Human Factors Application, 1996, 4(2):27.
[13] Keates S. Developing BS7000 Part 6-Guide to managing inclusive design [M].Stary C, Stephanidis C. User-centered interaction paradigms for universal access in the information society. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 2004:332-339.
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[17] Myerson J. Work well: inclusive furniture for older office workers [M]. London: Helen Hamlyn Centre, Royal College of Art, 2005.
CLC number: TB 472
Document code: A
Article ID: 1004- 0579(2019)01- 0075- 08
Received 2018- 01- 19
Supported by the Shanghai Education Science Research Program (C17067)
Author for correspondence, lecturer, Ph.D.
E-mail: lugy@sdju.edu.cn
DOI: 10.15918/j.jbit1004-0579.18018
(Edited by Yuxia Wang)
标签：ageing论文; workforce论文; INCLUSIVE论文; design论文; HUMAN-CENTERED论文; Department of Art and Design论文; School of Design and Art论文; Shanghai Dianji University论文;