In March of this year, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) AgeLab hosted Preparing the Longevity Advisory Network (PLAN) The conference was held over two days in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was an honor to contribute to the design and planning of this event, along with Dr. Joseph F. Coughlin, founder and director of the MIT AgeLab, and colleagues in the lab (Figure 1).
The annual PLAN conference focused on financial planning, service design, and the Design for Longevity (D4L) concept. It is primarily tailored for financial advisors, wealth management and healthcare professionals, and user experience professionals.
In this article, I will share my thoughts and insights from the event design and development process, with a focus on spatial and experiential design. We are also thinking about how these concepts can be universally applied to enhance other events and activities through a more human-centered approach. My analysis is divided into three parts: engagement, co-creation, and space for experimentation.
space for engagement
A standout highlight of the conference was the XR Zone, created to showcase the future of financial planning and services through immersive technology. This zone was equipped with two Oculus Quest 3 devices and complemented by a knowledgeable guide and five illustrated poster boards to provide a comprehensive and informative experience (Figure 3).
This area became a hub for financial advisors who were actively involved in the setup and provided valuable feedback on how technology disrupted user experience, market expectations, and industry transformation. The accessibility and inviting atmosphere of this space is the result of thoughtful environmental design and space curation.
For example, an impressive red carpet was laid out to evoke the glamor of the Oscars ceremony. Large poster boards were strategically placed and decorated with vibrant visuals and thought-provoking questions designed to connect with the realities of life across the past, present, and future.
Another thoughtful detail is the placement of a large television screen adjacent to the board, which utilizes XR technology to show carefully selected footage from a personal perspective, allowing participants to envision their future selves in terms of their work and personal spaces. The goal was to be able to project. This allowed those waiting their turn with their devices in hand to immerse themselves in the concept and story being presented.
Space for Engagement aimed to harness participants’ curiosity by providing an accessible and low-cost experience. Two of his Oculus Quest 3 devices were available, allowing guests to learn more about this technology under expert guidance.
These subtle details and service touchpoints combined seamlessly to signal that this was a space dedicated to engagement, increasing interest and excitement among attendees.
co-creation space
On the second day of the conference, we strategically placed a long piece of white paper and a mechanical pencil on the table in front of the participants. Our aim was for participants to write down their notes, learnings, ideas, reflections, and expectations to share with colleagues throughout the conference. The initiative was met with enthusiasm and resulted in a rich tapestry of content (Figure 4).
Towards the end of the conference, I took many photographs of the diverse expressions of the participants’ creative thoughts, words, and doodles embodied on paper (Figure 5).
Beyond its basic function, this simple piece of paper served as a collective canvas for creativity. It represented a “space for co-creation” where participants were encouraged to express themselves openly.
Whether through physical, digital or hybrid means, this co-creation space not only guides collaboration; It was to foster an environment where creative methods, decision-making and presentation are collective, engaging and dynamic experiences. This approach not only increased the pleasure, but also ensured the comprehensiveness and diversity of the results.
Experimental space
We integrated MIT AgeLab’s Design for Longevity (D4L) studio experiment space into the conference to better communicate the concept of “longevity coaching,” a service that cuts across financial planning, service design, and user experience ( Figure 6).
An “experimental space” inspired by the concept of “living lab.” Living Labs function as open innovation ecosystems, operating within real-world environments where continuous iterative feedback is applied throughout the innovation lifecycle to create sustainable impact.
The D4L Studio setup was designed to authentically simulate, reflect on, and imagine what the nascent field of longevity coaching looks and feels like, and the story that unfolds behind the scenes. is.
To facilitate this, we’ve created four expanded foam core boards that outline the D4L design process from inspiration to ideation to implementation. These four boards have created an engaging area that encourages participants to interact with us about this work.
“Space for Experimentation” is designed to be an immersive environment where participants can explore the exhibition at their own pace according to their personal interests and intentions. At the conference, D4L Studio served as both content and concept, providing an experiential journey through the experimental space.
Overview: Space for broader social context
In this article, we discussed three different types of spaces using the example of the PLAN conference hosted by MIT AgeLab.
- space for engagement It should stimulate personal curiosity and expose participants to new products, services, and experiences. This is achieved through an engaging and accessible design that immerses participants and encourages them to discover innovation first-hand.
- Space for co-creation is envisioned as a participatory canvas, where individuals are invited to contribute their unique perspectives through guided collaboration. These spaces encourage the sharing of the creative process and allow participants to leave their mark on the collective experience.
- experiment space is an immersive environment created to allow participants to navigate exhibits at their own pace, according to their personal interests and goals. This self-directed exploration is central to fostering a sense of discovery and personal connection to the content.
As well as explaining the concept of space for participation, co-creation and experimentation, it is important to consider spatial design within a broader social context. Establishing a human-centered design space similarly requires human-centered design and its interactive design process (Figure 7).
Designers and researchers use empathy to design spatial experiences from the participant’s perspective, paying close attention to the details of each touch point along the user journey, from inspiration and ideation to implementation. need to do it.
This includes participant demographics such as age and occupation, expertise such as financial planning and service design, and even specific requirements beyond spatial design, such as disability accessibility, transportation, lighting, dining, and promotion. It also includes responses to -Up engagement.
Practical questions also arise. Is the size, type, and color of the font on a poster the most readable and comfortable for most people? What is the ideal height of a display board to make it easier to read documents and take photos? Flyers, Are take-home formats such as QR codes, text messages, and photos best provided to participants after the conference? Deliver a space experience that is important and that responds to participants’ learning objectives at the beginning, middle, and end of their journey. How should I carefully select the items in order?
The concept of ‘space’ extends beyond the physical, digital and exhibition areas. This also includes an individual’s mental capacity, thought processes, information models, cognitive load, and community expansion (Figure 8).
As technology advances and society becomes more complex, the definition, design, and use of space must be reconsidered in light of social, economic, ethical, political, and cultural concerns. We aim to design spaces that address broader social considerations while meeting practical and aesthetic needs.
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