“It will not be design in a design studio but design in society.”

—Takeshi Sunaga (2025, p. 248)

​

Overview
This week explores the Society lens of the D4L Unclock Framework, focusing on the cultural, ethical, and collective dimensions that shape how people experience longevity. Society encompasses shared values, social norms, cultural beliefs, equity, inclusion, and the relationships that influence how individuals live, age, and participate in their communities.

What if the greatest barriers to healthy longevity are not design or technology, but social perceptions? Stigma surrounding assistive technologies, age-related stereotypes that discourage innovation, and cultural norms that discourage asking for or providing care can limit the adoption meaningful solutions. These invisible barriers shape people’s behaviors more powerfully than products or services . Through the Society lens, we will explore how shifting perceptions, fostering inclusion, and strengthening social connections can unlock new opportunities for healthier, more meaningful, and more equitable lives across the lifespan.

​

Reading Material

• Woods, T., Palmarini, N., Corner, L., Barzilai, N., Maier, A. B., Sagner, M., Bensz, J., Strygin, A., Yadala, N., Kern, C., Ward, P., Ferrucci, L., Bischof, E. Y., Barker, R., Shiels, P. G., Guiot, G., Monti, J., Justice, J., Kennedy, B. K., & Furman, D. (2025). Cities, communities and clinics can be testbeds for human exposome and aging research. Nature Medicine, 31(4), 1066–1068. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03519-8

• Lee, S., & Sicklinger, A. (2024). Design for Longevity: people, process, and platform. DIID, 1(82). https://doi.org/10.30682/diid8224a

• Scott, A. J. (2021). The Longevity Society. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2(12), e820–e827. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-7568(21)00226-6

Return to course main page [ UT402 ]