How to Democratize Internet of Things Devices: A Participatory Design Study to Improve Digital Literacy

The global introduction of affordable Internet of Things (IoT) devices offers an opportunity to empower a large variety of users with different needs. However, many off-the-shelf digital products are still not widely adopted by people who are hesitant technology users or by older adults, notwithstanding that the design and user-interaction of these devices is recognized to be user-friendly. Considering the habits and preferences of those who have used mainly analog devices for most of their lives, such users may encounter challenges such as digital illiteracy and technology anxiety when faced with newly-released digital IoT-based products. In view of the potential of IoT-based devices, how can we reduce the obstacles of a cohort with low digital literacy and technology anxiety and enable them to be equal participants in the digitalized world? This article shows the method and results achieved in a community-stakeholder workshop, developed through the participatory design methodology, aiming at brainstorming problems and scenarios through a focus group and a structured survey. The research activity focused on understanding factors to increase the usability of off-the-shelf IoT devices for hesitant users and identifying strategies for improving digital literacy and reducing technology anxiety. A notable result was a series of feedback items pointing to the importance of facilitating educational experiences through learning resources to support individuals with different abilities, age, gender expression, to better adopt off-the-shelf IoT-based solutions. This fundamental first step of user experience research generated considerations for designing open-source learning tools to foster inclusive and more accessible use of IoT-based technologies for improving older people’s daily activities.