AGE Platform Europe is a partner to MATUROLIFE, an EU-funded project that develops fashionable assistive technologies to make older persons lives easier and more independent. To develop these technologies – a smart sofa, a garment and shoes – interviews and co-creation workshops were conducted with older persons and their carers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
Co-creation is a process of involving end users in the creation of a product or service from the beginning and throughout its development. It is based on the idea of equal value of expertise, whether that be design, health, academic or personal experience: good design ideas come from different life experiences.
The best practices and lessons learnt from these co-creation workshops have been put together into a co-creation manual. The manual comprises tips on how to involve older persons and informal carers before, during and after the co-creation activity.