Older people should be more involved in the design of public digital services, say representatives of various stakeholders in a recent study by the DigiIN project. Although participatory planning is seen as fruitful, the problem is that involving older people is not anyone’s responsibility.
The study examined the views of various stakeholders on the challenges associated with the use of digital services for older people. It also studied the stakeholders’ views on the inclusion of older people in the design of services. The interviewees of the study held various official positions in municipalities, agencies and ministries. In addition to them, representatives of the voluntary sector were involved.
“The interviewees recognised that older people are a heterogenous group whose needs for digital services vary depending on their health, digital skills and general life situation,” says Laura Pajula, doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä.
The interviewees criticised the usability of public digital services and emphasised that the services must meet accessibility criteria. However, this does not yet guarantee that digital services are easy to use for older people. Based on the study, administrative needs often come first in the implementation of digital services, and the idea is that ‘one size fits most’.
“There is a risk that digital services are made for those who already have good digital skills and use a lot of services. This contributes to inequality in the digital society,” Pajula says.
Organisations should have more know-how in digital service development
Representatives of different stakeholders agreed that older people should be more involved in the design of digital services. However, the division of responsibilities for user engagement is unclear.
The study found that organisations’ administration lacks sufficient know-how to acquire digital services. According to the interviewees, service developers should ensure that end users are involved in the design.
The study emphasises the role and competence of organisations’ administration departments in the development and design of digital services. As society and essential services become increasingly digital, it must be ensured that services are designed comprehensively and through user engagement.
More information
Pajula, L., Hänninen, R., Korpela, V., & Taipale, S. (2024). Exploring stakeholder perspectives on user involvement in designing digital public services for older adults. First Monday, 29(9).
Laura Pajula
Researcher
laura.a.pajula(at)jyu.fi