“Why most ‘smart’ products fail older adults — and what designers can do about it.”

We are building a world that millions of older adults cannot fully use. And we call it innovation.

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Every day, older adults struggle with products, homes, public spaces, food packaging, healthcare portals, banking apps, ticket machines, and “smart” technologies that were never truly created with them in mind. What we dismiss as user error is often something far more uncomfortable—a quiet, systemic, and often unintentional ageist exclusion.

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In Design with Heart, Prof. Ron Nabarro draws on fifty years of international design leadership—and his own lived experience—to challenge the assumptions shaping our built and digital world. He reframes age-friendly design, inclusive design, and human-centered design not as niche specialties, but as the true measure of professional maturity—and as a strategic imperative within the rapidly expanding longevity economy.

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Blending research from gerontology and UX with real-world examples, this book offers a practical framework for creating products, services, and environments that protect dignity, strengthen independence, and build confidence across the lifespan.

Because when design works for an aging population, it works better for everyone.