New Inspirational Achievement Feature - The Connector: Co-designing for Late Life Connection

We are excited to share this new Inspirational Achievement feature highlighting a project funded by the Vivensa Foundation, developed in collaboration with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD) and residents of the Guinness Partnership.

The Connector explores how older adults can live well in homes and communities that support physical, social and digital wellbeing through inclusive co-design.

Overview

This project rethinks how meaningful connections can be supported in later life by examining the relationship between people, place and technology.

Using co-design workshops with Guinness Partnership residents and students from the Royal College of Art (RCA), it identified opportunities to reduce loneliness, tackle digital exclusion and strengthen participation in community life.

The work produced ten resident-led ‘design futures’ offering new approaches, ranging from intergenerational learning to supportive technology, that can inspire more connected, inclusive neighbourhoods.

Key features of the project

• Inclusive co-design approach
  Residents worked alongside designers and students to shape the concepts, ensuring their voices and experiences guided the research.

• Holistic view of connectivity
  The project recognised that social relationships are influenced by the relationship between people, place and technology, not each in isolation.

• Intergenerational focus
  Many ideas centred on creating opportunities for shared activity and learning across ages, strengthening local bonds.

• Technology as enabler (not barrier)
  Participants expressed varying degrees of comfort with digital tools, highlighting the importance of accessible, supportive and adaptive technology in later life.

• Ten resident-preferred ‘design futures’
  Concepts such as Connection Hubs, Bartering of Microservices, Community Learning with Technology, Companion Pods and Generations Fest offer a spectrum of inventive, user-led ideas for connection.

• Practical guidance for future design
  The emerging principles advocate for adaptable combinations of spaces, services and technologies that respond to diverse needs and encourage meaningful participation.

Looking Ahead

The ten design futures are prompts for reimagining communities that nurture connection, independence and participation in later life. They highlight adaptable combinations of space, service and technology shaped by real lived experience.

We look forward to hearing more from Dr Chris McGinley (HHCD, based in the RCA) and Lynn Lewis (Guinness Partnership) at our Housing LIN Conference in Bristol on 12 March. Find out more here.