Unpacking Cultural Perceptions of Future Elder Care Through Design Fiction

Abstract

We present a case using Design Fiction to unpack cultural perceptions of future elder care rooted in the Asian context of Singapore. We created two design fictions, addressing the tensions between filial piety and automated care and the controversy of integrating elder care facilities into residential communities. The design fictions took the visual forms of a shopping web page and a petition site and the public were invited to make fictional decisions. Received in total 109 responses, we identify the key tensions and value conflicts and illustrate them through visual narratives. Further, implied by the Asian perspective of familial relations in care, we propose the positioning of social relationships as the protagonist in creating elder care design fiction.