Maintaining mobility is a critical component to successful aging. Impaired mobility can limit normal activities of daily living and lead to a loss of independence. For individuals who are already mobility impaired, or are at risk of becoming so, small improvements in functional capacity or mobility can dramatically improve quality of life. Novel intervention strategies targeting issues related to mobility in the elderly could fill a vital need.

In this course, Anne Friedlander and her colleagues Carol Winograd, Terry Winograd and Paul Yock team teach a class designed to develop new strategies and products to enhance mobility in seniors. This two-quarter interdisciplinary sequence is offered by the d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford) in association with the Stanford Center on Longevity. Graduate, undergraduate and medical students from diverse backgrounds participate in this unique and innovative class experience. The class brings perspectives from computer science, design, social and behavioral sciences, and medicine to address the potential of people to maintain vitality and mobility as they age.

Students learn about the relevant background from experts in the different disciplines. They then develop selected mobility-related projects into a series of prototypes and tests during the second quarter. Projects allow students to develop their ideas in all dimensions –– technical interventions, social and contextual design, organizational contexts, business, and distribution issues. The goal is for students to produce designs that have an impact in the world –– through products, programs, and practices that affect people’s health on a broad scale.

Read about the latest student projects

If you're interested in any of these and aren't already in touch with us, or would like more detail, please contact Terry Winograd.