Co-creative design developments for accessibility and home automation

Abstract

The term “Home Automation” can be referred to a networked home, which provides electronically controlled security and convenience for its users. Home automation is also defined as the integration of home-based technology and services for a better quality of living (Quynh, et al., 2012). The main purpose of home automation technologies is to enhance home comfort for everyone through the automation of higher security, domestic tasks and easy communication. Home automation should be able to enhance one’s capacity to interact with one’s living environment and engage in activities that would have been previously difficult or impossible. This is particularly significant in the case of disabled people, elderly or in general people who have special accessibility concerns for their home (Chan, et al., 2009). Currently, visions of future automated homes have provided inspiration for product designers to offer new ways of controlling and monitoring appliances. Innovation in control and monitor technology has involved incremental steps and a wide range of products has been developed which offer part of the functionality of more sophisticated systems. While smart home users are able to take advantage of some smart devices and home automation, for common issues there are still gaps that need to be considered in terms of accessibility when designing automated homes and effective smart products (Guilly, et al., 2016).

Recent innovation and design management studies have used techniques usually referred to as co-creative design, which engages customers in product design in order to produce a mutually beneficial outcome (Dell'Era & Landoni, 2014). Furthermore, co-creation can enhance the innovation processes. However, despite the potential value that co-creative design can offer, there is surprisingly little research providing a strategic approach to this process (Frow, et al., 2015) . This research paper examines how co-creative design can develop accessibility for home automation systems.