Supporting new interactions with past experiences anchored in materials

Developers and designers working with assistive technologies for the oldest generation often aim at tailoring the interface and interaction mechanisms after the experiences and competences of their users. We have studied what role materials can have in these design processes by investigating to what degree the material used in the designed artifact itself can help elderly users connect with the technology. More precisely, we report from a study of how the use of different materials influences the perceived familiarity, context-suitability, and intuitiveness of new interfaces and interaction mechanisms. We present our thematically analyzed results from a two-phase study involving 59 participants residing or working in two local care homes in Oslo. Through our findings, we present several examples of how addressing the particular use of materials can trigger different intuitive actions and gestures among the participants, as well as help the participants relate to the technologies and their intended use.