Publicação
SeniorBox: Co-creating a toolkit to develop games for older adults
| dc.contributor.author | Pereira, M. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Regalado, Francisco | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ferreira, Sónia | |
| dc.contributor.author | Veloso, Ana Isabel | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-27T15:13:57Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-27T15:13:57Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-07 | en_US |
| dc.date.updated | 2026-07-13T07:56:22Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Population ageing has become one of the most significant demographic trends of the twenty-first century, posing major challenges to the promotion of active and healthy ageing. In Portugal, long-term care institutions face difficulties in providing meaningful activities that support older adults’ autonomy and wellbeing. In this context, games have emerged as a promising approach to reducing functional decline by fostering cognitive, physical, and social engagement. This study presents SeniorBox, a low-cost toolkit of games designed to promote active participation among older adults. The research followed an iterative DesignBased Research methodology, developed across four iterations. Initially, a literature review and semi-structured interviews with institutional professionals were conducted to identify design principles aligned with older adults’ preferences and institutional constraints. The findings highlighted the importance of simple mechanics and rules, familiar themes, and elements that stimulate cognitive and social interaction, as well as the need for affordable and accessible materials. Based on these insights, a set of games was developed using everyday, low-cost objects and tested with older adults from care institutions in the Aveiro district, Portugal. Observational data revealed high engagement levels, ease of use, and significant social interaction during gameplay. Subsequent iterations focused on the development and evaluation of low and high-fidelity versions of the toolkit, including instructional materials and a supporting website. Usability was assessed with professionals using the System Usability Scale, resulting in a score above 90%, indicating excellent usability. Overall, the study contributes a validated toolkit, practical design guidelines, and empirical evidence supporting the role of games in promoting autonomy and active ageing among older adults. | eng |
| dc.description.version | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion | |
| dc.identifier.slug | cv-prod-5069262 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.19/10075 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.peerreviewed | yes | |
| dc.publisher | Springer | en_US |
| dc.rights.uri | N/A | |
| dc.subject | Older adults | |
| dc.subject | Games | |
| dc.subject | Player experience | |
| dc.subject | Co-design | |
| dc.title | SeniorBox: Co-creating a toolkit to develop games for older adults | en_US |
| dc.type | conference paper | en_US |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.citation.conferenceDate | 2026 | |
| oaire.citation.conferencePlace | Canadá | en_US |
| oaire.citation.endPage | 379 | |
| oaire.citation.startPage | 364 | |
| oaire.citation.title | Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population | |
| oaire.version | http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85 | |
| person.familyName | Ferreira | |
| person.givenName | Sónia | |
| person.identifier.ciencia-id | 961B-514E-F239 | |
| person.identifier.orcid | 0000-0003-0664-1039 | |
| rcaap.cv.cienciaid | 961B-514E-F239 | Sónia Ferreira | |
| rcaap.rights | restrictedAccess | en_US |
| relation.isAuthorOfPublication | 2bda986a-1487-41b1-bb7d-5e70731c47cd | |
| relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery | 2bda986a-1487-41b1-bb7d-5e70731c47cd |