Design for all » Non-use

Technology non-use has been my core research interest for far over a decade. Approaching technology and design from a social scientist background, designing for “users”, while the prevalent approach to design, has always irked me in that this limits the impact and accessibility of our tools, services or artefacts.

My biggest contribution to the field of non-use research so far:

Montage of two photos, one showing two copies of the printed thesis booklet and one showing a sample page spread.

The Absent Peer – Non-users in Social Interaction Design

A deep dive into the phenomenon of technology non-use, and a framework for its consideration in design
design research publication

Statistics

In spring 2024, the federal statistics office in Germany published some interesting numbers on just how prevalent internet non-use is:

Gut 5 % der Bevölkerung im Alter von 16 bis 74 Jahren in Deutschland sind offline

destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/Zahl-der-Woche/2024/PD24_15_p002.html#:~:text=Gut%205%20%25%20der%20Menschen%20im,Bundesamt%20(Destatis)%20weiter%20mitteilt.

Noch nie online: 7% der EU-Bevölkerung

destatis.de/Europa/DE/Thema/Wissenschaft-Technologie-digitaleGesellschaft/noch_nie_online.html

Last edited: Apr 2024