‘Innova’ Digital Application and Database for Designers to Innovate for Carers

This paper reports on the interdisciplinary design, development, and implementation of a digital application and database called ‘Innova’ that serves as a platform to collect and analyse assistive technologies (AT) currently available for family/friend carers and consequently also care recipients. AT products/systems/services that support carers (directly or indirectly) in their everyday lives have the potential to serve as precedents to inform innovators to create new AT products/systems/services to better meet the needs of carers. These precedents become ‘materialised design knowledge’ that is a significant kit of information that acts as sources of inspiration for designers. The aim of Innova is to compile and examine information about AT precedents as a precedent-based design (PBD) tool for designers to improve and/or create new AT products/systems/services that better suit carers’ needs. Innova is a digital environment that includes an application and database that can be used on Android smartphones and tablets. The digital application and database have a user-centered survey, a user-interface, and feedback features to collect information about AT precedents.