Identifying user wants
The encapsulation and presentation of the user-wants should include the additional factors such as the effects of age, experience and impairments, so that the designers can respond to them.
The effect of age
When designing for a different age range, the designers need to be attuned to the aesthetic and aspirational values of the users. Each generation will have developed different sets of technological skills, knowledge and experience.
The effect of experience
What users want from products will be derived from their knowledge of existing and previous products. However, when considering the design of a radical new technology, the usefulness of the feedback will potentially be restricted by the ability of the participants to understand its potential. This is true for both the mainstream market and the 'special needs' market.
The effect of impairments
A person who has suddenly developed or acquired a functional impairment, for example from a stroke or an accident, will feel an immediate loss in capability. The psychological effect of this can be devastating and can be difficult to come to terms with. However, someone who acquires or develops a functional impairment over a long period of time, often with gradual erosion of capability, may be more accepting of the decrease in capability, especially if it is a result of the ageing process.
Finally, someone who is born with a congenital impairment that is present from birth often has a completely different view of what to expect from life from that of someone who has experienced full functional capability.