Invisible Guardian

A User Research Report on Fall Detection and Emergency Alert Systems for Home-Based Elderly Care
Read Our Article: Beyond Digital Privacy: Uncovering Deeper Attitudes Toward Privacy in Home Camera Among Older Adults

My Role

UX Research Intern

Contribution

Primary Research; Household Interview; Co-design Workshop; Qualitive Analysis; Paper Writing

Team

5 Researcher with Diverse Background in Psychology and Design(Weiwei Zhang, Jianing Yin, Jiayi Chen, Tongxin Sun, Tongtong Jin)

Tools

MAXQDA; Figma; SPSS

Client

Tencent

Duration

2021.9-2023.6

Overview

Our aim is to uncover deeper attitudes toward privacy in home cameras among older adults.

During the research process, we employed various methods, including desktop research, user interviews, qualitative analysis, surveys, roundtable meetings, participatory design workshops, focus groups, and long-term resident diary tracking. These methods allowed us to gradually gain a deeper understanding of older adults' attitudes toward home cameras and subsequently formulate design recommendations and future application scenarios.

Key Points

Invisibility and Design

Positive Application Directions

Discovering

Existing Fall Down Detection

Technology Applications

Basic attitudes towards cameras in older age groups

We use Questionnaire(N = 405) and Semi-structured Interview(N = 20) to understand the basic attitudes and acceptance level of older adults towards home cameras

Acceptance

Health status, living conditions and subiective attitude of older adults together constitute the main factors affecting older adults' willingness to use.

Function Needs

56.7% of seniors are willing to use cameras and are more concerned about price, functional complexity, maintenance and other issues related to the overall cost of use than privacy breaches

Older adults in both urban and rural areas need home security, fall detection, prompts and other practical functions.
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The entertainment needs of the older adults in rural areas are much higher than those in urban areas.

Grounded Theory Framework for Participant Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Cameras

Based on the Grounded Theory, we have developed a coding framework for participant perceptions and attitudes towards cameras. This framework has generated four major themes: viewpoints on the use of home cameras, functional requirements, reasons for concerns, and personal privacy beliefs.

Defining

User Persona

We classified the participants' subjective acceptance of cameras into three categories: positive recipients (A), conditional conservative recipients (B), and strong resisters (C).

Persona A: Positive recipients

Key concerns of older adults who are positive recipients of smart cameras are: 7x24 hour all-round fall detection, timely alarm, two-way call, home risk scene reminder

Persona B: Conditional Acceptors

Potential older users believe that the probability of falling events is low or have solutions, and have diversified needs for cameras.

Persona C: Strong resisters

Strong resisters believe that the camera deprives them of their freedom and restricts their behavior. Installing such products violates their attitude towards life and will frustrate their self-esteem.

Ideation

Key Scenario Construction

Research Method: Scenario-based participatory workshop

We invited six typical older adults to conduct a workshop called 'Emergency Scenario Testing.' In this workshop, we used role-play to allow older adults to share their opinions on key aspects of fall detection and emergency response. We enacted two typical scenarios: one where the individual regains consciousness after a fall and calls for help using the camera's voice command, with family members rushing home; and another where the individual remains unconscious after the fall, and community members are urgently notified to assist in calling for help.

Key Scenario 1: Call for help

Do not disturb

In cases when the elderly person is conscious, there is a confirmation process in place, with the aim of not disrupting their children's normal life. Providing clear updates on the progress of the rescue, offering expert self-help guidance, and providing emotional comfort are particularly important.

Combined devices

The blind area of the camera is equipped with auxiliary equipment, voice pager, bracelet, etc.

Exceptional case

High decibel rhythmic cry for help, attracting the attention of neighbors.

Key Scenario 2: Call for help automatic

Setting priorities for permissions

In such emergencies, the hope is to directly request assistance from 120 and then notify the contacts. Pre-entering the address and setting the priorities for permissions.

History of underlying diseases

Provide a history of underlying diseases, medications, etc. If someone is nearby, also remind them not to make mistakes in handling the situation.

Support elderly condition verification

Collaborating with wristbands and other information to assist medical treatment or facilitate the confirmation of the elderly person's condition in critical moments.

Multi stakeholder attitudes

Doctor (expert interview *4)

The process of falling can provide medical professionals with diagnostic information, with a focus on one's posture while walking in daily life and the effectiveness of post-operative recovery.

Property (expert interview *4)

I hope to help them within my ability, while my work is legally protected

Social worker (roundtable *8)

Actively exploring smart hardware, rural issues are relatively complex. Organizing family meetings, coordinating between the elderly and children.

Service blueprint of the system

Multi-party cooperation

Consensus is the need for multi-party linkage and unified deployment, clear scope of responsibility.

Responsibility of the platform

It's hard for platforms to take responsibility for everything, and they have to be clear with consumers about their services.

Barriers

The interconnection between relevant populations requires the introduction of policies and regulations from a more macro perspective. Improve the professional quality of service personnel in all aspects, and form a real "human-machine-intelligent" community.

Design

Invisibility and Design

Research Method: Co-design workshop

6 Older Adults Participants
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2.5 Hours

In order to better incorporate the attitudes and perspectives of older adults regarding privacy into our design, we organized a co-design workshop. This workshop aimed to explore the connections between older adults' views on privacy, invisibility, concealment, and design language, and to translate their insights into design strategies.

Co-design Outcome

Invisible, textured, reliable and durable are the main common needs of the older adults for the appearance.

Future Application Scenarios

Life Log Tracing & Positive Application Directions

Different types of seniors may have different additional needs for cameras over and above the basic functions, some of which fit in with their hobbies and some of which hit the pain points of their current lives.

Conclusion

PARW Design Model

· To instill trust and usability among the older adults, it is essential for products and services to strike a balance between being protective and actively supportive. This means prioritizing their safety (Protective) while also offering proactive assistance (Active);
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· While respecting user privacy (Respectful), these offerings should extend a helping hand during challenging times and provide emotional support;
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· In terms of aesthetics, the products should be designed to resonate with older adults' cognitive preferences, serving as a warm and comforting companion (Warm) rather than a cold, purely technological tool.

Older Adults' Perceptions of Home Camera Privacy

Takeaways

Design starts with user needs, not assumptions✍️

In our research, we found that many products aim to address the privacy concerns of older adults by introducing technologies like depth cameras instead of RGB cameras. However, older adults are primarily concerned about their dignity and sense of control as their deep understanding of privacy. They don't want to feel labeled as weak or lose control due to cameras. Understanding these concerns is crucial for designing satisfying products.

Learn to communicate with users🫶

Effective user research not only involves extracting essential methods and content from competitor analysis and literature but also requires establishing trust and communication with users, especially when working with specific groups. We connect with older adults through community or school engagement, maintaining long-term relationships to build trust and encourage open sharing of their ideas.

These snapshots capture a captivating moment in our research journey!💕😊

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