Abstract
Growing evidence shows that visibility can influence social interaction in elderly care facilities, yet its design is rarely discussed in statutory requirements. There is a need to engage older adults in the design process, but co-design outcomes often lack quantitative validation. This paper explores the relationship between visibility and social interaction by applying Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) to quantitatively evaluate co-design outcomes from workshops with older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Method: 12 participants (older adults with MCI, staff, and volunteers) were recruited from a Neighbourhood Elderly Centre (NEC) in Hong Kong for co-design workshops. The co-design outcomes were thematically analysed and then evaluated by VGA. Results: Four themes were identified: ‘Visual expansion to outdoors’, ‘Visual connection between room and public space’, ‘Flexible Visual Privacy from the outside’, and ‘Flexible Visual Privacy for staff’. VGA confirmed that creating a ‘Visual connection’ significantly increased accessibility, while providing ‘Flexible Visual Privacy for staff’ sharply decreased it, creating an isolated zone. Strategies for privacy from the outside had a minor impact on indoor visibility. Discussion: The findings suggest that moderately integrated areas, rather than highly integrated ones, better support planned social interaction by reducing disruption. This study also highlights the importance of meaningful outdoor views and proper openness in fostering a sense of comfort and safety and encouraging social interaction. Conclusion: This study cross-examines visibility features associated with social interaction in NECs. It offers a methodological framework that integrates qualitative co-design with quantitative VGA, providing a scientifically validated foundation for designing more inclusive community environments for older adults.
Keywords
Visual accessibility; physical environment; social interaction; mild cognitive impairment; long-term care facilities
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.732
Citation
Wu, Y., Lyu, P.A.,and Yang, C.A.(2025) Insights on Visibility for Social Interaction in Neighbourhood Elderly Centre: Cross-examining Co-Design Outcomes with Visibility Graph Analysis., IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taipei, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.732
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 6 - Co-creation
Insights on Visibility for Social Interaction in Neighbourhood Elderly Centre: Cross-examining Co-Design Outcomes with Visibility Graph Analysis
Growing evidence shows that visibility can influence social interaction in elderly care facilities, yet its design is rarely discussed in statutory requirements. There is a need to engage older adults in the design process, but co-design outcomes often lack quantitative validation. This paper explores the relationship between visibility and social interaction by applying Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) to quantitatively evaluate co-design outcomes from workshops with older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Method: 12 participants (older adults with MCI, staff, and volunteers) were recruited from a Neighbourhood Elderly Centre (NEC) in Hong Kong for co-design workshops. The co-design outcomes were thematically analysed and then evaluated by VGA. Results: Four themes were identified: ‘Visual expansion to outdoors’, ‘Visual connection between room and public space’, ‘Flexible Visual Privacy from the outside’, and ‘Flexible Visual Privacy for staff’. VGA confirmed that creating a ‘Visual connection’ significantly increased accessibility, while providing ‘Flexible Visual Privacy for staff’ sharply decreased it, creating an isolated zone. Strategies for privacy from the outside had a minor impact on indoor visibility. Discussion: The findings suggest that moderately integrated areas, rather than highly integrated ones, better support planned social interaction by reducing disruption. This study also highlights the importance of meaningful outdoor views and proper openness in fostering a sense of comfort and safety and encouraging social interaction. Conclusion: This study cross-examines visibility features associated with social interaction in NECs. It offers a methodological framework that integrates qualitative co-design with quantitative VGA, providing a scientifically validated foundation for designing more inclusive community environments for older adults.