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Title of the thesis: Addressing implicit ageism in service design: 
A new perspective on multidisciplinary service design for older adults

Thesis defender: Elena Comincioli
Opponent: Prof. Pietro Cipresso, University of Turin, Italy
Custos: Prof. Masood Masoodian, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Service design for older adults often reflects hidden age bias — new research offers a way forward.

A doctoral thesis completed at Aalto University reveals that age discrimination is often embedded in the way services for older adults are designed, and proposes a practical methodology to change that.
 

The study by Elena Comincioli, titled “Addressing implicit ageism in service design: A new perspective on multidisciplinary service design for older adults,” examines ageism in service design. While ageism is well-documented in healthcare and employment, its presence in design processes has received far less attention. The research focuses particularly on implicit ageism, namely biases that operate below the surface, shaping decisions without designers necessarily being aware of them.

A central problem identified is that mainstream service design relies on a problem-solution logic that risks treating ageing itself as something to be fixed. This framing reinforces negative stereotypes and leads to services that reflect what older people cannot do, rather than what they can. To address this, the thesis draws on positive psychology and ageing studies alongside design practice, proposing a shift from a deficit-oriented mindset to a salutogenic approach: one focused on wellbeing and strengths. The resulting methodology guides multidisciplinary design teams through three steps: changing how they think and talk about ageing, changing their perspective on ageing, and changing the experience of ageing itself. Positive emotions are used as a design resource to create meaningful, transformative outcomes.
 

The research was grounded in case studies conducted in Finland, where over a third of the population is projected to be over 60 in the coming decades: a demographic reality shared by Italy, Japan, and many other countries. The methodology offers an applicable framework for design teams working in public services, healthcare, and the private sector. It also contributes to academic conversations linking design, gerontology, and psychology — fields that have rarely been brought together in this way. The findings suggest that better services for older adults begin not with better tools, but with better thinking: examining the assumptions designers bring to the table before a single solution is sketched.
 

The thesis has been supervised by Professor Masood Masoodian. Prof. Masood also served as thesis advisor, along with Professor Gaetan Micco of the University of California, Berkeley
 

Key words: Ageism, implicit ageism, visual communication design, service design, older adults

Thesis available for public display 7 days prior to the defence at . 

Contact information: ele.comincioli@gmail.com