The global aging population necessitates the design of age-friendly environments, particularly within the home. Older people spend most of their time at home, making the home environment crucial for maintaining quality of life. The kitchen, often considered the heart of the home, is a space where many daily activities take place. However, current kitchen designs often present challenges for older adults due to physical limitations and changing lifestyles. This research addresses the need for inclusive kitchen designs that cater to the evolving needs and preferences of older people. The study aims to answer three research questions: 1) What are the key factors of current kitchen design research catering to the needs of older people? 2) What challenges do older people face in using current kitchen designs, and how can these be overcome in future designs? 3) How can metaphors effectively integrate older people's expectations into future kitchen designs? The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining a literature review with a focus group to generate a refined model for future-inclusive kitchen design.

The literature review examines existing research on inclusive design, focusing on age-friendly environments and kitchen design specifically. It explores concepts like 'Designing for our future selves' and 'Inclusive Living', emphasizing the importance of considering the diverse needs and lifestyles of older adults. The review synthesizes existing research on inclusivity in kitchen design, encompassing aspects such as spatial layout, ergonomics, assistive technologies, user health, emotional connections, and sustainability. Studies on human factors, technology integration (smart home systems, robots), cognitive processes, and the emotional significance of the kitchen are examined. The review highlights the lack of focus on older adults' future expectations and the need for a more holistic approach to inclusive kitchen design that considers all aspects of the user’s life.

This study employs a mixed-methods approach. The first stage involves a thorough literature review to identify key factors in inclusive kitchen design. The second stage is a qualitative user study, utilizing a focus group. Seven participants (3 females, 4 males; aged 67-80) were recruited from the Greater London area, mainly through the Brunel Older People's Reference Group. The focus group session, lasting approximately 120 minutes, explored various aspects of kitchen design, including spatial layout, technology, health, emotional connections, and future expectations. The session was structured into four steps: preparation and warm-up, introduction and overview, topic discussion (divided into four sub-topics), and reflection and feedback. Data collection involved audio recording and transcription, followed by thematic analysis. Thematic analysis involved open coding, theme identification, review and discussion by multiple researchers, and validation by an expert. Metaphor generation was employed to elicit participants' vision for future kitchens. The initial model from the literature review, the user insight model from the focus group, and the metaphors were combined to create a refined model.

The literature review identified five key factors: Environment, Technology, Health, Emotion, and Sustainability. The focus group study expanded on these, revealing six dimensions of inclusive kitchen design: 1. **Environment/space:** This encompassed spatial layout, ergonomics, furniture and appliances, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), waste management, and personalized design. Participants highlighted concerns about storage space, worktop heights, and ease of movement. 2. **Technology/interaction:** This included intelligent automation, assistive technology, integrated information networks, human-machine interaction, simplicity, and new technologies. Participants expressed a strong interest in smart appliances, voice control, and robotic assistance, but also emphasized the need for simplicity and user-friendly interfaces. 3. **Emotion/affect:** This focused on family communication, socializing, creativity, a sense of achievement, and happiness. Participants viewed the kitchen as a central hub for family interaction and social gatherings. 4. **Health and safety:** This dimension covered health, food safety and hygiene, and safety design. Participants were concerned with food safety, healthy eating options, and kitchen safety features. 5. **Human factors and well-being:** This focused on adaptability, accessibility, well-being, independence, and dignity. The kitchen’s role in supporting older people’s independence and dignity was a key theme. 6. **Sustainability:** This considered energy and resource management, economic and policy support, and future-proofing. Participants emphasized the importance of environmentally friendly materials and energy-efficient appliances. Metaphors used by participants included: '10 min' (efficiency), 'Center of the home,' 'A place to be proud of,' 'A place to create,' 'Brainstorming and family,' 'Comfortable cooking center,' 'Kitchen living,' 'My sociable kitchen,' 'Food factory,' and 'Central island.' These metaphors enriched the understanding of older adults' expectations and emotional connections to the kitchen space. A refined model incorporating these findings is presented, combining elements from the literature review, focus group, and metaphors.

The refined model integrates findings from the literature review and focus group, enriched by metaphorical descriptions. The model’s six dimensions offer a comprehensive framework for designing inclusive kitchens that address the evolving needs of older people. The strong interest in technology revealed in the focus group suggests a potential for technology to enhance independence and improve the quality of life for older people. The emphasis on emotional and social aspects highlights the importance of the kitchen as a space for family interaction and well-being. The model’s alignment with broader concepts like 'Inclusive Living' and the ethical principles for aging research strengthens its validity and applicability. The study contributes to the field of kitchen design by providing a detailed, multidimensional model based on user perspectives and incorporating the power of design metaphors.

This study presents a refined model for inclusive kitchen design based on a literature review, focus group study, and the use of metaphors. The model’s six dimensions—Environment/space, Technology/interaction, Emotion/affect, Health and safety, Human factors and well-being, and Sustainability—provide a comprehensive framework for designing kitchens that meet the evolving needs of older adults. The model is original and provides valuable guidance for designers and researchers working to create age-friendly environments. Future research could involve the creation and testing of kitchen prototypes based on this model to further validate its effectiveness and identify potential areas for refinement.

The study’s limitations include a relatively small and potentially biased focus group sample (primarily well-educated, middle-class participants from Greater London). The lack of detailed information on participants' economic status and technical skills might limit the generalizability of the findings. The reliance on metaphors, while insightful, may not fully capture the nuances of older people's needs. Future research should utilize larger, more diverse samples, gather more comprehensive participant data, and employ multimethods (including prototype testing) to further validate the model's effectiveness.