“Longevity is going to change almost all aspects of our lives.”

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—Laura L. Carstensen (2025)

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Overview
This week explores the Longevity pillar of the D4L Unclock Framework, exploring how a longevity perspective reshapes design thinking, encouraging solutions that anticipate lifelong transitions, foster independence and well-being, and create lasting value for individuals, families, and communities across generations.

 

Rather than emphasizing lifespan, the longevity perspective considers healthspan, adaptability, resilience, and the evolving identities, aspirations, and relationships that shape human lives over time. It encourages designers to move beyond age-based thinking and embrace a life-course approach that recognizes continuous growth, transition, and change. 

 

What if we designed not for a single stage of life, but for an entire lifetime of change? Imagine products, services, and environments that evolve alongside people—from youth to midlife and later life—adapting to changing abilities, goals, social roles, and personal circumstances. Instead of designing for a fixed moment, how might we create solutions that remain meaningful, flexible, and supportive throughout an individual's life journey?
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Reading Material

• Lee, S., Coughlin, J. F., Hodara, S., Yang, M. C., De Weck, O. L., Klopfer, E., & Ochsendorf, J. (2024). Design for Longevity Literature Review in Product Lifecycle, Financial Planning, and Gerontology. Proceedings of DRS. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.363

• Lee, S., Hodara, S. (2026). Slow Observation: A Preliminary Study Using Photogrammetry on the Built Environment to Discover Latent Longevity Needs. In Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-30421-6_19

• Stanford Center on Longevity. (2022). The New Map of Life Full Report. In Stanford Center on Longevity. https://longevity.stanford.edu/the-new-map-of-life-full-report/