Exploring the Poka-Yoke Concept as an extended usability criterion for age-friendly kitchen design

Abstract

This study proposes the Poka-Yoke Concept as a usability criterion for the improvement of residential kitchen design for older adults, using aging simulation suit (GERT suit). Thesis includes two separate study datasets. In the first data set, 152 older adults from the Geriatrics Department of Hacettepe Hospital participated to fill out the questionnaire. According to the results, error prevention, low physical effort, adequacy of lighting and workstation were the most important kitchen design criteria. In the second data set, tasks and scenarios were conducted with architects and interior architetcts using the kitchen of Bilkent University Graduate Housing. As a result of the heuristic evaluation adapted in the context of Poka-Yoke Concept, it can be used as a usability criterion by increasing empathy towards older adults with GERT simulation.