Boundary objects in longevity planning service: exploring personas and dualities through constructivist grounded theory

Abstract As we enter the era of longevity economics, the desire for longer life spans and health spans is increasingly prevalent. Recognizing the importance of longevity planning (LP) has become particularly significant, as individuals seek to enhance lifespan quality starting at younger ages. This article explores how 12 LP blocks (LPBs) can serve as boundary objects (BOs) to facilitate conversations and identify user needs in LP services. Using constructivist grounded theory, this research analyzes data from 69 in-person experiments at MIT AgeLab, across adulthood (25–54 years), preretirement (55–64 years) and postretirement (65–74 years). Through a qualitative data analysis supported by a comparison of surveys, the authors identified and clustered 51 initial codes, 15 focused codes, 5 axial codes and 1 thematic code. This led to the development of four personas, each corresponding to one of the four types of BOs defined by Star in 1989: repositories, ideal types, terrains with coincident boundaries and forms and labels. The findings highlight the value and challenges of using LPBs as BOs to enhance LP service, ultimately contributing to design for longevity (D4L). This qualitative research aims to facilitate sensitive conversations and foster comprehension of D4L, positioning LPBs as components in creating LP services.