In 2017, Thailand entered the aging society phase. I participated in the “Designing Impact” program, which aimed to apply design knowledge and processes to help the elderly in various aspects.
After conducting field research in various Bangkok communities with over 100 elderly individuals, we discovered that the key element mostly overlooked in health promotion is “fun.” Our proposed idea was to combine a casino with an exercise machine, as we found that elderly individuals who avoid exercising usually have time for card games with their friends. However, I wanted to make this idea more sustainable by including medical factors and other motivators beyond just fun or excitement.
The final idea involved a combination of gamification and actual healthcare intervention. We proposed a health promotion system in which the elderly would receive an exercise prescription along with their medication. The community exercise machines would track their activity and reward them with voucher points, or “HealthPoints,” which they could redeem at local stores. This system integrates not only the healthcare system but also the local community aspect.
The author worked in the team under the name of “Nothing 2 Lose, Only to gain”. The team were a collaboration between the author and Creo Modo Co., Ltd. (lead by Jeff Hamilton)
