Paper long abstract:
This proposal arises from an ongoing three-year (2013-2016) research project named SUITCASE (SUstainable, Integrated and Territorial CAre SErvices) carried out in partnership with a consortium of companies, aimed at developing innovative services for the welfare of citizens in their own home, with a focus on older adults (> 65 years). The approach of Suitcase is centred on the integration of events coming from heterogeneous sources. Non-intrusive, off-the-shelf sensors are being installed in the homes of the users. Other data are collected by human operators, clinical sources, social services, and from public and private institutions and organizations delivering services to the citizens.
Research activities are informed by the concept of active ageing (well-being) (World Health Organization 2002) which is the assumption for the construction of a sociotechnical infrastructure (Bowker, Star 1999; Orlikowski 2007; Suchman et al. 1999). The project applies a User Centered Design approach for the co-design of services to properly answer to users' needs.
However, within the consortium there was not convergence (Bowker, Star 1999) about how to identify the elderly's needs, despite a shared interpretative perspective. Our contribute is inspired by this disalignment (Star, Griesemer 1989) and it is aimed to discuss - starting from a qualitative set of data (diaries and interviews) - the difference between a rational, problem-solving perspective and a participatory design approach for which asking powerful questions is crucial. We will discuss the role of diaries and the "message" that the users send when they don't write diaries as requested.