Older People’s Experience of Autonomy with Durable Products

This article discusses the importance of promoting autonomy in the design of products for older individuals. The aim was to better understand the autonomy experience of older people with durable products. This research utilizes a qualitative approach to study the experience in-depth and employed six instruments, including interviews, questionnaires, and a UX curve method, interaction qualities, the psychological needs it fulfills, and the emotions elicited through the product to investigate why and how a product, owned by the participant, promotes autonomy. Fourteen Mexican women over the age of 60, without cognitive impairment, Spanish-speaking and not affiliated with the design discipline, took part in the study. The results provide a detailed description of the characteristics of products that promote autonomy, the interaction properties involved, and the elements that structure the autonomy experience. The study identified an alignment between intrinsic motivations and the activity carried out with the product, ease of interaction, and excellent product performance as components of the experience. The experience of autonomy is pleasant and enhances well-being.