Abstract
This qualitative study examines social isolation among Boston's elders aged 65 and older. We explored ways to employ service design and interactive encounters to connect different generations around history. Our focus was on Boston’s Seaport—a district shaped by redevelopment and technology. This study involved four interviews with museum professionals, elders, and locals to understand how memories influence community connections. The Time Travelers app features an Interactive Memory Map of stories along with guided walks and collaborative memory threads that encourage intergenerational exchange. Complementing the app, a Seaport boardwalk installation features televisions from different decades displaying memories from each era. Visitors can browse stories and record their own through connected telephones. Together, these experiences transform public spaces and technology into portals of living history, promoting social engagement and purpose across generations. Future studies may examine Time Travelers’ long-term impact on social connections and expand participation to include more elders across Boston.
Keywords
service design, longevity, intergenerational, human-centered design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1537
Citation
Sahibnazarova, R., and Kim, A. (2026) Time Travelers: Bridging Generations in Boston’s Seaport, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1537
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Time Travelers: Bridging Generations in Boston’s Seaport
This qualitative study examines social isolation among Boston's elders aged 65 and older. We explored ways to employ service design and interactive encounters to connect different generations around history. Our focus was on Boston’s Seaport—a district shaped by redevelopment and technology. This study involved four interviews with museum professionals, elders, and locals to understand how memories influence community connections. The Time Travelers app features an Interactive Memory Map of stories along with guided walks and collaborative memory threads that encourage intergenerational exchange. Complementing the app, a Seaport boardwalk installation features televisions from different decades displaying memories from each era. Visitors can browse stories and record their own through connected telephones. Together, these experiences transform public spaces and technology into portals of living history, promoting social engagement and purpose across generations. Future studies may examine Time Travelers’ long-term impact on social connections and expand participation to include more elders across Boston.