The one thing that we all share in common - whatever our age - is that we are getting older. But it’s noteworthy to realise that by the middle of this century, close to half of the people living in the UK will be over 50 (stats in other countries vary, but the general trend is for populations worldwide to have increasing proportions of older people), and by 2030 (just 7 years away at the time of writing) one in six people on the planet will be over 60.

I’ve explored various aspects of this trend in myth-busting blogs like THIS ONE and THIS ONE where I reported on research into the realities of life after 50.

One of the aspects of ageing successfully that I find particularly interesting is the way in which design - of products, services and the environments we live in - has the potential to play a key part in us ageing in a successful, healthy and enjoyable way.

Back in the early days of Heydays, I reviewed a fascinating exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum called THE FUTURE STARTS HERE which presented 100 objects and projects that pointed to how society, and our lives, might develop thanks to both emerging and already existing concepts and technologies.

Yesterday I went to a much smaller, but no less absorbing and thought provoking display at The Design Museum, showcasing ten initiatives that are helping to reimagine how our ageing years can be lived as joyfully as possible. As well as the initiatives, there were a number of interactive elements, which I share with you below and which I’d love to know your thoughts on and responses to.

But first the designs. One of which gave me a particular frisson of pleasure, because in 2019 it was one of the chosen finalists in the Innovation for Ageing awards, a competition run by the International Longevity Centre, a think tank which I’m fortunate enough to be a trustee of. You can read more about the awards and the other finalists HERE.

Seeing creator Lise’s invention for helping to prevent the frequency of falls as we age, through the use of a smart shoe insole, go from an innovative proposal to a hugely clever product (albeit one that was tricky to photograph through the glass cabinet) was fantastically heartening.

The IntellAge smartsole system by Walk With Path

The soles feed back information to an app on the wearer’s phone alerting them that they need to monitor or adjust their stance and walking if it senses they’re in danger of falling. It’s also possible for a carer to remotely monitor the user when necessary. Isn’t that clever.

Another product that I had a tangential involvement in, was quite possibly the most attractive vibrator you’ll ever see (although the almost hilariously careful description of it as a ‘personal massager’ could quite easily make it unlikely that you’ll realise that’s what it is).

Before your imagination starts to run riot (now, now), let me explain that involvement bit. Tides was developed and designed with the help of the founder, Eleanor Mills, and a group of followers of the NOON website and community, and I work on Noon with Eleanor as her Editorial Director. All clear now?

Other innovative ideas on show were a desk/working area designed to make working from home easier and more comfortable. With flexible working seen as being a key incentive to keeping older people in the workforce, the Home Office by Age in Place, is part of their aim to create inviting spaces which can be transformed flexibly and easily from office to home.

Models of the multi-functional Home Office. with foldaway desk unit on one side, and open hatch to the other side which houses kitchen/storage units.

Then there were the redesigned versions of familiar items that frequently become necessities in the lives of older people, but rarely desirable ones in terms of their look. There was the reimagined walker, turning it into something much more akin to a trendy scooter in look. And the Riser Chair, a seat with an integrated lifting and lowering mechanism, which is not only functional, helping the user to feel safe and supported and to make standing and sitting easier, but looks appealing as well (and was even more tricky to photograph through the domed glass top of its display case).

Not all the innovations on show were products, there was the proposal for a new and inclusive type of bank, and an interactive display explaining our hormonal changes over the course of a day through a sensory booth.

Visitors are also invited to contribute their views on what’s most important to them for ageing in a joyful way (alert: we’re coming to the bit where I’m inviting you to get involved too) by slotting discs into stacking tubes according to their responses

Which of these would you add your disc to (you can do more than one)? Add your list to the comments. (I’ll put mine there too.) Are you surprised by the popular choices, or the ones that don’t seem to be so important?

Lastly, visitors were invited to write down and post into a box what products or services they would like to see improved in their design that would help make their ageing a more joyful and fulfilling experience. Because the answers couldn’t be seen, I can’t share the responses with you, but I’d love to know what yours are.

Designing for our Future Selves is on until March 28th. It’s a very compact exhibition so doesn’t take long to wander round

Designing For Our Future Selves at The Design Museum

and as it’s in the foyer of the museum, it’s both easily accessible and free to view.

The Design Museum is open daily from 1000 to 1800, and I really recommend taking time to look round the rest of the predictably fabulously designed building whist you’re there, and enjoying its fascinating permanent and changing exhibitions.