ENGR110/210: Perspectives in Assistive Technology

Abstract: As the world's population ages and new services and technologies proliferate, older adults are facing increasing difficulties understanding and using these new technologies. While Assistive Technology has the potential to improve their quality of life and increase their independence, older adults may find it difficult to identify truly beneficial solutions.

This lecture will offer an overview of the main challenges that older adults face and provide critical knowledge on successful design techniques through numerous examples and a discussion of guidelines for shaping inclusive environments.

Biosketch: Matteo Zallio is an award-winning designer, UX researcher, and adjunct professor. As a creative designer he worked with different research institutions, non-profit organizations and companies, in the field of education, health and wellbeing, mobility and transportation, performing user research, need-finding, concept brainstorming, and prototyping of people-centered solutions.

A passionate researcher, eclectic inventor and UX design strategist, Matteo has developed an extensive track record understanding people’s needs and incorporating complex technical requirements into prototypes with the goal to improve people's lives through inclusive futuristic solutions.

He was the founder and CEO of the startup Dean Design Lab and was previously appointed as UX design researcher at the Autonomous Systems Laboratory at Stanford University, Fulbright research fellow at Stanford University, Center for Design Research, adjunct professor at INSEEC, San Francisco, postdoctoral UX researcher at Technological University Dublin, and spent his life researching and designing people-centered experiences.

During his career he served as chairman of the Irish National Mirror Committee for the standard ISO TC 314 “Ageing Societies” and is an expert representative for the standard ISO TC 215 WG2 “Health Informatics” and ISO TC 314 “Ageing Societies”, as well as reviewer for academic journals and judge for international scientific panels and design competitions.

Matteo is currently a Marie Sklodowska-Curie senior research fellow at University of Cambridge, Inclusive Design Group, working on an international EU-funded project with IWBI (International Well Building Institute) to develop accessibility and inclusivity metrics to improve life within smart environments and UX Design consultant.

His passion to give back and share his experiences lead Matteo to become a coach and mentor at Open IDEO, SF-InnoDays 2019, Lead the Future, and an expert member of several European innovation partnerships, coaching hundreds of students, researchers and professionals.