Connecting Families with ICTs: A Board Messaging System for Older Adults and their Family Abroad Víctor M. González Manchester Business School University of Manchester, UK vmgonz@manchester.ac.uk Marcela D. Rodríguez School of Engineering, UABC, Mexicalli, Mexico marcerod@uabc.mx Luz M. Colsa School of Engineering, UABC, Mexicalli, México colsa_ley@uabc.mx Abstract Many older adults in Mexico are likely to experience isolation and emotional discomfort because of the migration of one or more family members to the USA. Despite the increasing number of communication tools provided by the Internet, their current design and characteristics, limit their use by older adults. Our work aims at offering a board-based messaging system with a simplified interface, which can be used by older adults to interchange messages and pictures through the Internet with those members of their family living abroad. The system works as a shared board of messages that family members can access from any web browser. We report on the design and the implementation of the system, and the plans for a future in-situ evaluation. 1. Introduction Traditionally in Latin American countries, the pragmatic concept of family expands well beyond siblings to include many branches of the genealogy, linking individuals who maintain constant communication and awareness about the life of each other. In Mexico, this type of relationship pattern is commonly endangered by the migration of one or more family members to other countries (mainly the USA), which often limits the face-to-face contact for extended periods. Thus, the reality of the migratory phenomenon has a deep impact on the well-being of the family. Of all the family members, older adults are the ones who are more prone to feel the effects of the lack of contact and communication [1]. This situation can cause not just emotional discomfort, but a decline in health and a deterioration of cognitive abilities. For many Mexicans living abroad, the Internet has brought new opportunities to enhance communication with their families [2]. Unfortunately, older adults are often left outside these networks given the complexity involved in using Internet tools and their lack of Internet access. We believe that although Internet access can eventually become a more affordable channel for older adults to support communication with their families, the situation will not change dramatically if communication tools are not designed to support older adults’ particular needs. Our approach is to provide simplicity not only in the user interfaces conceived for older adults, but also in the functionalities that enable them to exchange information with their relatives. Other projects also follow a similar approach. For instance, the CareNet Display [3] aims to provide awareness of the day-to- day older adults’ activities to people who care about them. The ‘Keep in Touch’ audio messaging system is an appliance that supports inter-generational communication [4]. The MEMENTO system is a physical digital scrapbook for memory sharing or dissemination activities among older adults and their families [5]. The above projects are confined to provide alternative channels of communication as opposed to opening access of older adults to the existing ones. Our work strives to build adequate systems and interfaces for older adults that facilitate their communication with family members over the Internet. Furthermore, we aim at going beyond “fixing and revamping” interfaces and create novel forms of communication for older adults and their families abroad. Our previous work reported the first instantiation of a home-based communication system that we called “Electronic Family Newspaper”. Through it, older adults and their families: share important information, personal reminiscences and cultural stories, and may interact with relatives [6]. From that version, we refined and developed a new one through a series of prototype evaluations with older adults and members of their family. This paper reports on the design and implementation of a new prototype that, responding to the needs of potential users, moves from the “newspaper” metaphor and operates as a shared board of messages and pictures with simplified standalone interfaces for older adults and web-browser interfaces for the rest of the family.