Towards socially inclusive design: an action design research project supporting social inclusion of senior citizens

This study addresses the persistent challenge of social inclusion faced by senior citizens, a group frequently marginalised in an increasingly digital society. While existing Information Systems (IS) research has documented the barriers seniors encounter in digital engagement, limited knowledge exists on effectively translating these insights into actionable design practices. Approaching social inclusion as a design challenge, we conducted an Action Design Research (ADR) project with a large international humanitarian organisation to co-design a digital gateway artefact to support seniors in achieving relevant, independent, and meaningful use of digital technologies. Drawing from this experience, we introduce the concept of socially inclusive design and articulate three prescriptive design principles that explicitly embed the core social needs of trust, agency, and belonging into IS artefact design, fostering meaningful integration of digital tools into seniors’ everyday social lives. In doing so, we challenge prevailing assumptions that improvements in technological usability alone sufficiently achieve meaningful digital integration, emphasising instead the necessity of intentionally addressing users’ underlying social needs through artefact-level design decisions. Our research advances IS design knowledge by providing actionable guidance for aligning artefact design with broader societal objectives, facilitating deeper digital engagement and consequently, greater social participation among socially excluded groups.