Abstract
Although rollator design has traditionally prioritised functional support, aesthetic perceptions may also influence user acceptance and preference. This exploratory mixed- methods study triangulated quantitative evaluations with descriptive analysis of design evaluation patterns to examine how older adults assess rollator designs. This study draws on the Most Advanced Yet Acceptable (MAYA) principle to explore whether user preferences are shaped by perceived typicality, novelty, or utility. Eighteen users rated six rollator designs across three aesthetic and six utility attributes. Although users rated most designs similarly on performance-related attributes overall (e.g., functionality: p = 0.096, η²p = 0.111), data showed that individual perceptions of functionality (B = 0.365, p < 0.001) and novelty (B = 0.215, p = 0.019) predicted ‘liking’ (aesthetic preferences). Design evaluation reflected a pattern of experience- and perception-based judgements, anchored in functional experience, extended through interpretive perception, and moderated by affective valence, expressed as attachment, trust, or risk aversion. Users prioritised a range of utility attributes, particularly those linked to stability, comfort, and reliability, which underpinned their overall evaluations. These findings extend aesthetic preference theory by demonstrating that acceptance of novelty in rollator designs depends on its perceived enhancements of functionality, usability and user confidence, highlighting the importance of design innovations that integrate functional improvement with sensitivity to user familiarity, reassurance, and contextual fit.
Keywords
Aesthetic preference; Rollator design; MAYA principle; Assistive technology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.206
Citation
Shen, W.(., Kuys, B.,and Benson, A.C.(2025) Balancing aesthetics and function: A visual study of typicality, novelty, and user preferences in rollator design, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.206
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 9 - Healthcare Design
Balancing aesthetics and function: A visual study of typicality, novelty, and user preferences in rollator design
Although rollator design has traditionally prioritised functional support, aesthetic perceptions may also influence user acceptance and preference. This exploratory mixed- methods study triangulated quantitative evaluations with descriptive analysis of design evaluation patterns to examine how older adults assess rollator designs. This study draws on the Most Advanced Yet Acceptable (MAYA) principle to explore whether user preferences are shaped by perceived typicality, novelty, or utility. Eighteen users rated six rollator designs across three aesthetic and six utility attributes. Although users rated most designs similarly on performance-related attributes overall (e.g., functionality: p = 0.096, η²p = 0.111), data showed that individual perceptions of functionality (B = 0.365, p < 0.001) and novelty (B = 0.215, p = 0.019) predicted ‘liking’ (aesthetic preferences). Design evaluation reflected a pattern of experience- and perception-based judgements, anchored in functional experience, extended through interpretive perception, and moderated by affective valence, expressed as attachment, trust, or risk aversion. Users prioritised a range of utility attributes, particularly those linked to stability, comfort, and reliability, which underpinned their overall evaluations. These findings extend aesthetic preference theory by demonstrating that acceptance of novelty in rollator designs depends on its perceived enhancements of functionality, usability and user confidence, highlighting the importance of design innovations that integrate functional improvement with sensitivity to user familiarity, reassurance, and contextual fit.