Introductory workshop: Forum Virium Living Lab Loppukiri

Facilitated by Mr. Kari-Hans Kommonen, UIAH Media Lab

The topic of this workshop is to describe how end users actively participate with ideas and roles to obtain improvements for better life conditions to elderly people.  End users are co-creators and co-designers of the final product. As a result; new service and products are obtained. Users are co-creators and have active roles instead of remaining passive. An example is the case of information technology.

Loppukiri is a project in which the members of the community are product designers and participate actively in order to obtain the final result. This project started as a vision. A woman who thought on how she would like to spend her elderly ages was the one who developed this innovative idea. By taking into consideration elder relatives and their quality of life and how they have spent their elder ages, she realized that she would like to have a better life quality.

In August 2000, the community arose. Year 2001; the community was already recognized by Helsinki City.

The community has grown fast, 80 members within the first year. The success remains in the members, since they are extremely active people. They obtained construction and architecture providers. The community has their own rules and ethics. They have decided how they are going to live together; how the organization is going to be planned, which are the responsibilities and duties and how these duties are going to be divided.

The key element from this community is the activities. These are the main course that keeps the members active and healthier. Each member participates in every task. To be active is an important driver that makes the members happy and active. This community is extremely innovative since they are active players and decision takers of their daily activities.

But what happens in the case where there is an ill person within the community? Each member is mentally health and they are able to participate at least in easy tasks. Members are very positive, extrovertive and social. Ages range between 52 and 88 years old. Each member is a shareholder of the house; so they have common meetings to decide issues related to the building. All decisions are made in common.

The idea of the developing this technological system came from a group of designers who wanted to have collaboration. People would participate actively to build their own future. How does every day situation fits digital and technological innovations?  How to take advantage of technology to build people’s own lives. What are the new digital possibilities?  Loppukiri helps in designing a new way of living in which digital technologies provides possibilities for helping in taking daily decisions. Design is defined as technological tools to implement practices.

How designers can use tools for the evolution of the practices?  Different practices need to be discovered. There are some processes of discovering, which include:

• Remembering and reminding
• This process is achieved by having photos and calendars
• Coordinate everyday life
• Communication and selection

This process is quite complex since it includes diverse tasks; such as    coordinating every day activities. Some instruments used are mobile phones, computers, and calendars. These form complex ecosystems which should work together.

Loppukiri project is a living lab in which all participants take common decisions. All tasks are realized after a common decision has been obtained. It is based on an every day management system. The system helps the community on deciding organizational aspects such as how much food to prepare, who is going to do a particular task, how is the sitting going to be selected, etc.

The result is an information system in which they can design it themselves. This system allows users to have an efficient organization in everyday activities. As a results, conflicts between the habitants of the house decrease. Improvements on the system are done continuously. Design is open and improvements are welcome. Users can improve the system. Seniors have designed the information system. The software is always used in every activity.

The main goal is to be actors in the designing process. This represents the whole challenge. Similar communities could apply same process in order to improve the organization on daily activities.  Similar projects will be created. However; each project has its own needs, ideas, abilities and implementing. These stages are specific of each group. Situations differ from group to group; so even that the idea is the same, the outcome is completely different. There are some sections of the program that work very well but some that do not. As a result; improvements are still required. Seniors have become active actors and representatives of the project.  Everything is done as a group. It is interesting to realize how technology can be tangible in every day needs. It has practical results. Computers have become part of the life of the habitants of Loppukiri. Email is the main source for communicating.

An important aspect which still requires improvements is in the way in which health care is provided. Seniors within the workshop mentioned that the State of Helsinki see them as individuals and not as community. In the case when a doctor or nurse is required, it would be much easier to provide a doctor who visits the house. However; this is still not possible. Each senior has to attend individually a health person and this in some cases creates difficult situations.

In order to make the workshop a more active process; the group is subdivided in two groups. The task of each group is to discuss how to integrate end users into part of the process. What kind of problems should be solved in order to facilitate organizational aspects within Loppukiri community.

Results of the discussion:

Group 1

• Restrictive system versus promoting system
• Discussion
• White spots
• Existing city rethinking
• Redesign
• Idea of virtual housing community
• Create more customized situations. Create a virtual community in advance and afterwards create the real product.  The whole should be a planning process.
• Real life community to monitor the activities in order to decrease mistakes. Planning lag.
• Meeting the community.

Group 2

• Problems create frustrations
• Frustrations are increased when results are not obtained.
• How past situation can lead to future situations?
• Designing process has limitations.
• Elements in many situations  are only fixed at a later stage.
• Users are participants but are not really the designers of the process.
• More innovative systems are required.
• How to understand the complexity of the situation?
• How to understand the needs of the final users?
• How can it work efficiently an interaction of this magnitude? By networking can have a great influence in society.  If the idea is not specified, then the idea is not putted into reality. For that purpose, communication is required as well as the proper expertise in order to implement the ideas into concrete situations.

Loppukiri is a successful collaboration within participants and designers in order to obtain a successful customized final result. Loppukiri is a continuous lab of this implementation.