Barclay's Elderly Alien Nation Suit Helps to Improve Its Banking Services
Laura McQuarrie — November 19, 2013 — Life-Stages
References: apps.barclays & newsroom.barclays
Barclays is a global financial service provider that created ‘The Elderly Alien Nation’ stunt, which involved putting its employees into aging suits designed to simulate some of the struggles senior citizens face, in order to improve its services for the elderly.
Barclays’ research found that roughly 4.3 million people (about 40%) over the age of 65 “don’t feel at home in their own country as the UK is becoming a playground for the young.”
When the “BESS” (Barclays Elderly Simulation Suit) is worn, it adds mobility impairments to augment a young person’s weight, limb movement, sight and hearing. The suit was worn by over 50 Barclays employees, who then performed banking as usual through Barclays’ branches, ATMs and telephone services. After putting themselves in the shoes of the elderly, Barclays developed a strategy to enhance accessibility, which included things that so often go overlooked, like easy-to-grip pens, high visibility debit cards and audio cash machines.
Barclays’ research found that roughly 4.3 million people (about 40%) over the age of 65 “don’t feel at home in their own country as the UK is becoming a playground for the young.”
When the “BESS” (Barclays Elderly Simulation Suit) is worn, it adds mobility impairments to augment a young person’s weight, limb movement, sight and hearing. The suit was worn by over 50 Barclays employees, who then performed banking as usual through Barclays’ branches, ATMs and telephone services. After putting themselves in the shoes of the elderly, Barclays developed a strategy to enhance accessibility, which included things that so often go overlooked, like easy-to-grip pens, high visibility debit cards and audio cash machines.
Trend Themes
1. Senior Simulation Technology - Developing advanced simulation suits to understand the challenges faced by the elderly and improve services for the aging population.
2. Accessibility Enhancement - Creating innovative solutions such as easy-to-grip pens, high visibility debit cards, and audio cash machines to improve accessibility for senior citizens.
3. Empathy-driven Design - Emphasizing the importance of putting oneself in the shoes of the target demographic to develop more inclusive and user-friendly products and services.
Industry Implications
1. Finance - Developing banking services tailored to the needs of the elderly population and ensuring their financial inclusion.
2. Healthcare - Applying simulation technology to enhance understanding of age-related challenges, leading to improved healthcare services for senior citizens.
3. Product Design - Integrating empathy-driven design principles to create products that are accessible and user-friendly for people of all ages and abilities.
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