The global introduction of affordable Internet of Things (IoT) devices offers
an opportunity to empower a large variety of users with different needs.
However, many off-the-shelf digital products are still not widely adopted by
people who are hesitant technology users or by older adults, notwithstanding
that the design and user-interaction of these devices is recognized to be
user-friendly. In view of the potential of IoT-based devices, how can we reduce
the obstacles of a cohort with low digital literacy and technology anxiety and
enable them to be equal participants in the digitalized world? This article
shows the method and results achieved in a community-stakeholder workshop,
developed through the participatory design methodology, aiming at brainstorming
problems and scenarios through a focus group and a structured survey. The
research activity focused on understanding factors to increase the usability of
off-the-shelf IoT devices for hesitant users and identify strategies for
improving digital literacy and reducing technology anxiety. A notable result
was a series of feedback items pointing to the importance of creating learning
resources to support individuals with different abilities, age, gender
expression, to better adopt off-the-shelf IoT-based solutions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure