Active advice

Framed by a user-centred design approach, the ActiveAdvice European project sets usability tests as an irreplaceable practice to provide input on how real users interact with the platform. The first iteration of the ActiveAdvice user tests was conducted between November and December 2017 and aimed to assess the extent to which the platform allows the completion of tasks with efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction. The core functionalities of the platform as well as its ‘Look and feel appeal’ were a major focus of analysis for this iteration. Tests took place in Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal and end users from the three segments form the AAL2C target group – autonomous older adults, older adults facing loss of autonomy and informal caregivers – were enrolled.  The protocol was designed to capture the participant’s navigational choices, task completion rates and ratings and overall satisfaction rates and ratings. Objective (e.g. task completion rates) and subjective (e.g. satisfaction) measures collected. The results obtained with this first loop of usability tests will support the decision-making process concerning ActiveAdvice following development activities, which will be additionally feed by the forthcoming testing iterations.

Consortium Meeting & Market Observatory Meeting

In order to plan the final year of the ActiveAdvice project, the consortium met in Mid-January in Manchester. Main aim of the meeting was to plan the upcoming iterations of the user tests, to work on the decision support functionalities, and to refine the exploitation strategy. In a number of intensive workshops, the consortium worked on decision trees, agreed on topics for the upcoming accessibility guides for governments, and took important decisions for the next steps within the project. Additionally, a meeting with the AAL Market Observatory ensured the further alignment of the projects to create synergies.

Share your experiences in the ActiveAdvice Information & Awareness Hub!

The ActiveAdvice Information & Awareness Hub, available at https://www.activeadvice.eu/, provides information about current AAL projects and products, community events, market insights, and user stories. It intends to raise awareness on AAL and aims to provide information about novel solutions that might help older adults to stay at home longer independently, and support informal caregivers. If you want to become part of the ActiveAdvice community, contact us at office@activeadvice.eu – we are happy to publish your story!

Technical Progress – Testing the AAL Product & Service Cloud

A big step in technical development was taken, and the intelligent AAL Product & Service Cloud is being tested internally before reaching out to organisations and businesses who will further feed the platform with AAL solutions. Connected to the cloud are digital advisors that guide the end user – either a private consumer, a government representative, or a business – to the right solution for their needs. We are happy to include your product or solution – contact us at office@activeadvice.eu for more information if you are interested!