We don't need pink canes and jewelled pill boxes
September 8, 2015 2:50 AM Subscribe
Barbara Knickerbocker-Beskind has been an occupational therapist, inventor, author and recently started a new career as a designer for famed firm IDEO. Her work there is on products to support the ageing community - which benefits from her perspective as a 91-year-old.
We don't need pink canes and jewelled pill boxes
She seems like a delightful and impressive lady... but you know, some of us like our assistive devices to have a little zazz!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:38 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
She seems like a delightful and impressive lady... but you know, some of us like our assistive devices to have a little zazz!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:38 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's that she says? "Ask the elderly what they want, don't tell them."?
It's almost as if User Experience is a critical factor in every discipline... who knew!
posted by jefflowrey at 4:44 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's almost as if User Experience is a critical factor in every discipline... who knew!
posted by jefflowrey at 4:44 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
That is one hell of a life story. (She's a retired army major! She was the first occupational therapist in private practice in the US! She went to art school when she was in her 70s!) I wanna be her when I grow up.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:32 AM on September 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:32 AM on September 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Oh my goodness, what an interesting lady. I want to be her when I grow up, too!
One thing that really impressed me about her work is how simple most of her designs are. They aren't anything that requires a lot of effort to produce, and everything she mentions that I saw could be built by a thoughtful person with some very basic skills--especially a woman who had been trained in sewing and other traditionally 'feminine' skills, in the case of the pillow. They're the kinds of designs you look at and go 'ah! I see what you need!' at immediately. She seems to be very skilled both at thinking of new, useful designs but also at communicating them efficiently to other people. That's a related skill, but not necessarily one that always goes along with innovative ideas. IDEO is lucky to have her.
posted by sciatrix at 6:42 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
One thing that really impressed me about her work is how simple most of her designs are. They aren't anything that requires a lot of effort to produce, and everything she mentions that I saw could be built by a thoughtful person with some very basic skills--especially a woman who had been trained in sewing and other traditionally 'feminine' skills, in the case of the pillow. They're the kinds of designs you look at and go 'ah! I see what you need!' at immediately. She seems to be very skilled both at thinking of new, useful designs but also at communicating them efficiently to other people. That's a related skill, but not necessarily one that always goes along with innovative ideas. IDEO is lucky to have her.
posted by sciatrix at 6:42 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Super inspiring woman, thanks for posting about her!
posted by msbubbaclees at 7:06 AM on September 8, 2015
posted by msbubbaclees at 7:06 AM on September 8, 2015
She seems like a delightful and impressive lady... but you know, some of us like our assistive devices to have a little zazz!
I think her point was that zazz-ing up the assistive devices isn't the only way to improve them, or design them for women's bodies or whatever.
It's like: I've seen plain black walking sticks, and I've seen flowered ones. But then I've also seen things like walking sticks with a swivel head at the base and the ability to stand up on its own. I'll grant that I only used a cane for a couple months when I was recovering from an injury; but while a flowered cane would have been fun on an emotional level, a cane that could stand up on its own would have been a fucking godsend on an overall level, and if I was able to get one of those back then I would have done so even if the only color available were baby poo brown.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:08 AM on September 8, 2015 [9 favorites]
I think her point was that zazz-ing up the assistive devices isn't the only way to improve them, or design them for women's bodies or whatever.
It's like: I've seen plain black walking sticks, and I've seen flowered ones. But then I've also seen things like walking sticks with a swivel head at the base and the ability to stand up on its own. I'll grant that I only used a cane for a couple months when I was recovering from an injury; but while a flowered cane would have been fun on an emotional level, a cane that could stand up on its own would have been a fucking godsend on an overall level, and if I was able to get one of those back then I would have done so even if the only color available were baby poo brown.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:08 AM on September 8, 2015 [9 favorites]
This is fantastic and really inspiring. I work with older disabled people, helping them to use technology, and it's shocking how much of the world is designed for fit young men. Thank you for sharing this.
posted by Helga-woo at 8:47 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Helga-woo at 8:47 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wow, what a career.
Here's something that struck me. She's 91, so she was born in 1924 or so. A year or so after that, her family had to move in with her grandmother, who she says was 80. That would put her grandmother's date of birth around 1844.
So these designers are working with a person who grew up with someone who grew up in the 1850s. In conclusion: dang.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:50 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Here's something that struck me. She's 91, so she was born in 1924 or so. A year or so after that, her family had to move in with her grandmother, who she says was 80. That would put her grandmother's date of birth around 1844.
So these designers are working with a person who grew up with someone who grew up in the 1850s. In conclusion: dang.
posted by Countess Elena at 8:50 AM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, as far as I can tell, her workweek consists in coming into the office on Tuesday, sitting down on a handy couch, and having people come find her to ask her questions. This is badass, and I am crazy envious.
posted by Mogur at 10:32 AM on September 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Mogur at 10:32 AM on September 8, 2015 [4 favorites]
It's smart business to think about designs for an aging population. And it's exactly how you use diversity in the workplace - bring in-house the kinds of people who you intend to be your customers.
posted by marylynn at 11:30 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by marylynn at 11:30 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think her point was that zazz-ing up the assistive devices isn't the only way to improve them, or design them for women's bodies or whatever.
A point I'd agree with. But I walk with a cane sometimes and take plenty of pills myself, and whenever I see canes and pill cases for sale they are drab as hell. It's a tossed-off line in the article, but it was used as the headline here and that's more what I was responding to. "We don't need" makes it read as very either/or. I'm all for what she's doing, but some folks would like a cane with some glamour as well as utility.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:34 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
A point I'd agree with. But I walk with a cane sometimes and take plenty of pills myself, and whenever I see canes and pill cases for sale they are drab as hell. It's a tossed-off line in the article, but it was used as the headline here and that's more what I was responding to. "We don't need" makes it read as very either/or. I'm all for what she's doing, but some folks would like a cane with some glamour as well as utility.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:34 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
some folks would like a cane with some glamour as well as utility.
Following some links from the "what has it got in its pockets" FPP, I found this excellent bicycle-mounted purple cane along with some other assistive devices made more fabulous.
posted by asperity at 3:21 PM on September 8, 2015
Following some links from the "what has it got in its pockets" FPP, I found this excellent bicycle-mounted purple cane along with some other assistive devices made more fabulous.
posted by asperity at 3:21 PM on September 8, 2015
A point I'd agree with. But I walk with a cane sometimes and take plenty of pills myself, and whenever I see canes and pill cases for sale they are drab as hell.
Hmm; I've seen plenty of the glitzy kind. I could just run in some peculiar circles. (Although, if you're looking for fun canes I can direct you here (i was THISCLOSE to getting an 8-ball-headed cane from that page).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:45 PM on September 8, 2015
Hmm; I've seen plenty of the glitzy kind. I could just run in some peculiar circles. (Although, if you're looking for fun canes I can direct you here (i was THISCLOSE to getting an 8-ball-headed cane from that page).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:45 PM on September 8, 2015
I know her and I've worked with her. The most inspiring thing about Barbara is despite her failing acute eyesight, she prototypes the heck out of her ideas with materials she can work with and manipulate easily. She thinks about problems like the fact that zimmer frames or walking frames make it impossible to walk with a natural gait, and it's debilitating when people lose it. Challenges that go beyond the idea of "we need to give them something to lean on" - she thinks about the unintended consequences of assistive technologies as well.
posted by The Letter K at 7:38 PM on September 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by The Letter K at 7:38 PM on September 11, 2015 [5 favorites]
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posted by Mogur at 3:16 AM on September 8, 2015 [2 favorites]