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This paper takes a system approach to implementation of future health and welfare technology aiming at prolonging independent life. A study was conducted where different relevant stakeholders such as older adults, care staff, managers, and decision makers were interviewed about their visions and attitudes towards the use of technology in a future context. Further, the paper elaborates on how information design can contribute to the understanding of different needs and how it can be applied in the development of health and welfare technology that empowers future older adults and contribute to a prolonged independent life. Finally, communication and interaction design are discussed in relationship to the usage of future health and welfare technology.

The aim of this design project is to explore ways of co-designing instructional videos, together with representatives from the elderly care sector, that show how to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and how to follow basic hygiene routines. We have used a Design Thinking (DT) and Research through design (RtD). The results show that the main improvements derived from using a co-design process were input on the details needed to make the video more realistic and more reflective of real-world scenarios.

Artificial Intelligence offers a wide variety of capabilities that can potentially address people's needs and desires in their specific contexts. This pilot study presents a collaborative method using a deck of AI cards tested with 58 production, AI, and information science students, and experts from an accessible media agency. The results suggest that, with the support of the method and AI cards, participants can ideate and reach conceptual AI solutions. Such conceptualisations can contribute to a more inclusive integration of AI solutions in society.

Globalization and digitalization are buzz words in contemporary society. They affect both our private and our professional lives. Society has become more diverse with easier access to information and to virtual platforms that gives us opportunity to be in touch with colleagues, friends, family, etc. at any time. A complex environment is emerging wherein internet of things and big data are being integrated with products, production systems, healthcare, and daily activity and play an important part in decision making. This has an impact on future designs and the role of designers. Responsible designers with a holistic perspective are needed. The book highlights several aspects of design thinking such as Information Design and Critical Design. The meaning of culture, gender and disabilities are also discussed. The functions of Information Design are changing from 'showing the way', instruction manuals and graphic design. It will affect among others, healthcare technology, smart products and Industry 4.0. Design thinking perspective that includes users from the entire chain and from the producer to the end user of the product or service, is needed. This will also require gender and culture issues to be taken into consideration in designing products and services. Design thinking methods and critical aspects of design will contribute to an inclusive society., Export Date: 20 April 2022; Book; Correspondence Address: Eriksson, Y.; School of innovation, Sweden

The availability of new research for IoT support and the human-centric perspective of industry 4.0 opens a gap to support operators in unleashing their creativity so they can provide improvements opportunities with IoT technology. This paper presents a case-study carried out in four Swedish manufacturing companies, where four different workshops were facilitated to support operators in the conceptualization of manufacturing improvements with IoT technologies. The empirical material gathered during these workshops has been analyzed in five different reflective sessions and discussed in light of previous research from industry 4.0, operators, and IoT support. Results indicate that operators can collaboratively create conceptual IoT solutions and that expressiveness in communicating their ideas and needs using IoT technology is more relevant than technical aspects and details of their proposed IoT solutions. This technological expressiveness is identified as a necessary skill to be cultivated on the shop floor and can potentially contribute to making a more effective and socially sustainable industrial landscape in the future.

Novel IoT market solutions and research promise IoT modules that do not require programming or electrical setup, yet shop floor personnel need to face problem solving activities to create technical solutions. This paper introduces the Karakuri card deck and presents a case study composed of four workshop sessions in four manufacturing settings, where shop floor personnel tested the cards as a means of ideating and presenting conceptual IoT solutions in the form of diagrams. The results indicate the validity of the proposed conceptual solutions and suggest prototyping as a next step.

Visual awareness is essential to developing and implementing visualizations that meet the needs of cross-functional teams. The theoretical and practical domain of information design can potentially play a major role in such collaborative working processes by improving flows of relevant information and aiding communication between stakeholders. We argue that one way this can be achieved is by exploiting the boundary object concept, in combination with knowledge from the visual field, and recommending guidelines intended to help clients formulate requirements when planning factory layouts which, with appropriate modification, may also provide support in similar situations. Our suggested guidelines for constructing block layouts and diagrams in factory layout planning highlight the value of simple visualizations based on spatial relationships; utilizing information on available spaces, sizes of machines, and their relationships to human proportions. Such block layouts and diagrams can also be used for ergonomic planning and logistics. The visuals can act as boundary objects between various stakeholders, including those who create CAD models in VR environments.

A testbed was developed aiming to contribute to further knowledge on what is required from a VR application in order to be useful for planning of assembly tasks. In a pilot study the testbed was tested on students. The focus of the study was to explore the users' behaviour, and to gain a better understanding of their experience using VR. The students experienced a gap between the real world and VR, which confirms theories that VR is not a copy or twin of an object or environment.

This study addresses the role of visual representations in supporting communication between an R&D team and geographically distributed suppliers for a new product development (NPD) project. It specifically focuses on the design and use of visual representations as a feasible way for communication between the distributed actors when they face communication challenges originating from differences in skills in the English language, but also from differences in work experiences. Relying on empirical materials from a Swedish manufacturing company in the mechanical engineering industry, this paper makes the following contributions to the literature. First, it shows that visual representations are effective boundary objects able to support process-oriented and product-oriented communication in distributed NPD projects. Second, it illustrates that visual representations do not necessarily have to follow graphic design principles, but can still be effective if distributed actors share the same project context. Finally, it highlights the need for a dynamic and context-dependent perspective on communication in NPD projects.

This case study is based on a research through design project (RTD) thatfocuses on a technical communication video of the live-action format. Itinvestigates the usability and design-implications of a live-action how-tovideo, by means of analyzing user-centered data such as YouTube analyticsdata, usability, and comprehension assessments. In the study, four key liveactionvideo affordances are identified: verifiability, comparability, recordability,and visibility. The identification of these affordances when related tothe users’ assessments resulted in several design implementations thatwould warrant sought-for communication efficacies. Findings show thatsome assumed efficacies appear to be mitigated by the complexity andthe density of the video information. One implication of this is that theimplementation of conventional video editing techniques and the additionof on-screen text that serve to make content briefer and more concise intoinstructional live-action videos requires the technical communicator’s carefulconsideration.