Transgenerational Aging Website

Overview

Created by James Pirkl, professor emeritus of industrial design and primary thinker in the field of universal design and aging, the site encourages “transgenerational design.”Transgenerational design is the design of innovative products and environments that are attractive to all generations. This type of design will become more important as the population in the country ages, predominately because products and environments accessible to all generations must include older adults. Community planners and local leaders should use the site to harness a deeper understanding of transgenerational design and practical ideas for implementation.

Key Points

The website has six categories: Viewpoint, Aging, Solutions, Resources, Tools and About Us. Community planners and local leaders will want to first visit the Viewpoint category. There is much confusion about what types of products and environments actually appeal to all generations. Some designers try to plan “old” and wind up alienating the young (and vice versa). This section provides a history of transgenerational design, design principles and implications. Each of the four subpages within thissection is worth reading to understand how these features impact design.

While all links are helpful, we recommend viewing the Aging category next. In particular, the future projections statistics are helpful, as well as the overarching review of how aging impacts all aspects of planning and design. Finally, we recommend visiting the Solutions category. This provides pictures and examples of transgenerational design for kitchens, bathrooms, built-in products, aging in place, outdoor living and more. This resource provides practical information for local planners seeking to understand what transgenerational design looks like and how it can be utilized in their own community.

How to Use

Community planners should design products and environments that appeal to everyone, regardless of age. By doing so, the community can grow with its residents as they age. This site provides planners with new design ideas, features and solutions to better meet the needs of all community residents.

View the website: Transgenerational Aging Website