Beyond Step Counts: Dual Perspectives on Designing Interactive Technologies to Support Outdoor Movement in Older Adults

Outdoor movement supports older adults' health and wellbeing, yet participation is constrained by environmental, physical, and social barriers. Existing technologies often prioritise clinical risk management and quantified functional metrics, and rarely integrate older adults' lived experience alongside physical activity experts' perspectives in early design. We conducted four focus group workshops with 24 urban dwelling older adults (63 to 91 years) and semi structured online interviews with 11 physical activity experts. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and grounded theory coding, then triangulated to identify convergent themes, divergent perspectives, and complementary views. Key tensions concerned risk management versus independence, clinical benchmarks versus personal enjoyment, and differing conceptualisations of support. We propose (1) embedding emotional and social value alongside clinical goals, (2) supporting autonomy while ensuring safety, and (3) incorporating intergenerational activity into technology installation in public outdoors spaces to support movement for older adults.