Aging-Friendly Design Research: Knowledge Graph Construction for Elderly Advantage Applications

In the field of aging design, obtaining elderly advantage data is a challenge. In this study, we developed a visualization tool using knowledge graph technology to assist designers in studying elderly advantages, promoting their application in design practice. First, brainstorming sessions and workshops were held to analyze the challenges of applying elderly advantages in design. Based on these challenges, the concept and functional design of an elderly advantages knowledge graph were proposed. Next, the elderly advantages knowledge graph was constructed by following these steps: (1) The KJ-AHP method was used to process raw data, making them structured and quantitative. (2) The ontology of the knowledge graph was reverse-engineered based on the functional requirements of the graph, allowing the construction of the knowledge graph model layer. (3) The processed data were applied to the knowledge graph ontology through AHP-ontology mapping rules, allowing the knowledge content construction. (4) The programming language Cypher was used for the functional verification of the elderly advantages knowledge graph, and a satisfaction survey was conducted through questionnaires to assess the verification process. The elderly advantages knowledge graph constructed in this study initially fulfilled the expected functions and was met with high satisfaction. The application of knowledge graph technology provides a new reference for advantage mining in the design field. Based on the innovative combination of KJ-AHP and knowledge graph technology, this study enhances the structuring and quantification of graph data, significantly facilitating designers’ understanding of data structures, clarifying data relationships, and expanding design thinking.