Design Scheme 1

“Voices of Time · Affections Conveyed via Objects” Elderly-Friendly Interactive Bench Proposal

I. Project Positioning and Core Objectives

This project focuses on the elderly group aged 60-80, adhering to the principles of “light interaction, warm affection, and easy operation”. It integrates the functions of “time capsule messages” and “time blind box exchange”, transforming public benches into “emotional communication posts” for the elderly. By optimizing facility design and simplifying processes to adapt to the physiological needs of the elderly, the project promotes cultural interaction and emotional connection between local elderly residents and visiting elderly tourists. It enables the elderly to preserve memories, gain companionship during a relaxed experience, and enhance their sense of belonging to urban public spaces.

II. Elderly-Friendly Facility Design

2.1 Adaptive Design of the Main Bench

The bench adopts a structure of “modular metal frame + solid wood seat board” to ensure stability and comfort. Key parameters are tailored to the elderly:

• Seat height: 45cm (aligning with the elderly’s habit of exerting force when standing up);
• Seat depth: 50cm;
• Seat width: 60cm per person (accommodating 3-4 people in total);
• The seat surface is treated with anti-slip textures.

The backrest is 75cm high, with an added curved lumbar support (the curve fits the elderly’s waist contour). The armrests are 10cm wide and 25cm high, facilitating the elderly to hold and stand up. A 15cm gap is reserved at the bottom of the bench for placing canes or wheelchair footrests.

2.2 Detailed Optimization of Functional Areas

Time Message Area

A time capsule message box is placed next to the bench, with paper and pens provided. Elderly tourists and local elderly residents are invited to write down “their current feelings” or “a message to each other”—these messages can be exchanged for reading. After writing and putting a message into a capsule, one capsule can be taken out. Staff organize the messages once a month, scan them, and compile them into a “Bench Time Album”.

Blind Box Exchange Area

A transparent acrylic blind box cabinet is set up, with 20 internal compartments. Local elderly residents place small items (such as old stamps, handcrafted accessories) with story cards inside, while visiting elderly tourists can exchange these items with their own small gifts (such as hometown postcards, bookmarks), establishing emotional connections through objects.

• Story cards: Uniformly designed, marking the origin of the item and the contact information of the elderly resident who provided it;
• Paper and pens are prepared for elderly tourists to write down exchange remarks;
• Graphic exchange rules are posted on the side of the blind box cabinet, along with schematic diagrams of steps for “placing items into the cabinet” and “redeeming gifts”.

Collective Memory Wall

A stone wall is built approximately 1.5 meters behind the bench. Initially, 10-15 engraveable stone slabs (each 30cm × 20cm) are reserved for displaying selected messages every year. A small green area is set up at the bottom of the wall, planted with easy-to-maintain plants such as succulents and pothos, creating a warm atmosphere.

2.3 Auxiliary Lightweight Digital Tools

To balance digital experience and operational simplicity, “voice message boxes” and “large-font electronic time albums” are introduced:

• Voice message boxes: Placed next to the message boxes, marked with “Don’t want to write? Speak your mind”. The elderly can press the red recording button to record a voice message within 1 minute. The system automatically marks the date, and staff transcribe the voice into text monthly and input it into the “Time Album”;
• Large-font electronic time albums: A 15-inch touchscreen is installed next to the bench, with adjustable brightness. It supports “page turning”, “zooming in”, and “reading aloud” functions. The elderly can click to view messages and blind box stories over the years, or ask staff for assistance with operation.

III. Core Highlights and Expected Outcomes

1. Full Process Adapted to the Elderly, Zero Threshold for Participation

From facility height and font size to process steps, all designs are tailored to the physiological characteristics of the elderly. With the assistance of volunteers and voice tools, complex operations are avoided, ensuring that elderly people with different physical conditions can participate easily.

2. Intergenerational Collaborative Operation, Closer Emotional Connection

Elderly volunteers take the lead in communication, while young volunteers provide support. This not only eliminates the sense of strangeness for participating elderly people but also deepens emotional resonance through “peer dialogue”.

3. Integration of Lightweight Digital Tools, Balancing Tradition and Modernity

Digital tools such as voice messages and electronic time albums only serve as supplements and do not replace the real experience of paper writing and physical exchange. This allows the elderly to experience the convenience of technology in a familiar scenario.

Design Scheme 2

“Light and Shadow Recalling the City · Collaging Time” Elderly-Friendly Interactive Bench Proposal

1. Design Concept

Centered on “visual cultural expression”, the proposal utilizes light and shadow projection technology to cast historical scenes and daily fragments of Naples onto the bench and the surrounding ground. This allows elderly tourists to immerse themselves in the city’s past and present while resting, and at the same time provides local elderly people with “memory triggers”.

2. Physical Design

Bench Body

• The seat surface of the bench is made of light-colored acrylic material. Waterproof projection equipment (adapted to daytime light) is installed at the bottom, and soft LED ambient lights are set on both sides of the bench body (automatically turning on after dusk without glare).
• The back of the bench is carved with outlines of Naples’ historical buildings (such as Castel Nuovo and Castel dell’Ovo), creating a visual effect that combines virtual and real elements.

Projection Content

The projection content is divided into three chapters, cycling every 15 minutes, with each segment controlled within 30 seconds to avoid information overload:

• Historical Chapter: Old images including markets in the 1920s and post-WWII reconstruction scenes.
• Daily Chapter: Filmed clips such as morning cafes, street musicians in the afternoon, and family dinners in the evening.
• Seasonal Chapter: Scenes like street decorations for Christmas and seaside fireworks in summer.

Interactive Trigger

When an elderly tourist sits down, a pressure sensor triggers exclusive projection content — bilingual text “Hello, welcome to [Street Name]” appears on the ground, accompanied by a greeting voice from local elderly people (e.g., “Sit down and take a break, have a look at the street we grew up on”).

Memory Collage

• A magnetic message board is installed on the back of the bench (with an anti-collision wooden frame). Erasable markers (hung on hooks on the side of the bench) are provided to encourage local elderly people to write down life tips (e.g., “Fresh figs are available at the old market on Wednesday mornings”) or for tourists to share their resting experiences.
• Local old photos (laminated) are displayed next to the message board, showing historical images of the area where the bench is located, with the photo year and a brief story note marked below.
• A storage compartment is reserved under the seat, holding a paper version of Naples Slow Travel Guide (including a hand-drawn bench map and routes recommended by local elderly people).

3. Digital Empowerment and Extension

• The note “Scan the QR code to view the full story” is marked below the projection segments, leading to a page containing the stories behind the images (e.g., “Why was the 1950 fish market on this street? Listen to what 85-year-old Antonio has to say”).
• A “light and shadow check-in” function is developed: volunteers help elderly tourists take photos of the bench projections and share them on social platforms, allowing tourists to redeem a free glass of lemon water at nearby partner cafes, promoting local business linkage.

4. Emotional Resonance Design

• Local elderly people are invited to participate in the recording and selection of projection content, and they vote for “the moments that best represent life in Naples”, enhancing their sense of belonging to the project.
• A “memory message book” is placed next to the bench, encouraging elderly people to write down their memories of the projected scenes. Elderly tourists can read and leave messages for interaction, forming an intergenerational emotional dialogue.

Design Scheme 3

“Neighborhood Chat” Face-to-Face Social Outdoor Bench Design Proposal for the Elderly

I. Proposal Background and Core Objectives

Based on Naples’ “slow life” culture and the social needs of the elderly group, this proposal targets local elderly residents aged 60-80 and visiting elderly tourists. It breaks the social barrier of the one-way arrangement of traditional benches and creates an outdoor social space centered on “in-depth face-to-face connection”. By means of humanized seat design, lightweight interactive props and warm atmosphere creation, the proposal aims to lower the social threshold, promote two-way communication between local culture and external experiences, and make the bench a “warm carrier of real interpersonal connection”.

II. Core Design Details

1. Seat Structure and Ergonomic Design

The bench adopts a face-to-face layout for two people. The main body of the seat is made of a combination of anti-corrosion solid wood and high-resilience environmental protection sponge:

• The solid wood frame ensures durability (adapted to Naples’ outdoor climate, treated with moisture-proof and sun-proof measures);
• The sponge cushion is 8cm thick with moderate hardness (ensuring support while avoiding discomfort from prolonged sitting).

The seat height is 45cm and the depth is 50cm, which conforms to the elderly’s habits of standing up and sitting posture. 60cm high and low armrests are set on both sides; the surface of the armrests is polished with rounded corners, and the edges are wrapped with non-slip rubber. This design facilitates the elderly to gain strength when standing up and prevents injuries from collisions.

2. Central Interactive Table and Topic Turntable

A small wooden table (30cm wide and 60cm long) is placed in the middle of the seats. The tabletop is made of the same solid wood as the seats and coated with wear-resistant clear varnish, which can hold drink cups, snack plates or communication props (such as simple hand-drawn maps).

A 20cm-diameter topic turntable is embedded in the center of the tabletop. The edge of the turntable is treated with non-slip patterns to ensure smooth rotation without jamming. 12 light social topics are laser-engraved on the surface of the turntable; the content combines local characteristics and universality, and is clear and easy to read. The specific topics are as follows:

• What is your favorite Naples snack?
• Share a traditional festival custom from your hometown.
• Where is your favorite viewing spot in this city?
• What is your most unforgettable travel experience when you were young?
• What three words would you use to describe Naples?
• What hometown delicacy do you still miss now?
• What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you while sitting on this bench?
• Do you have any simple health-preserving tips to share?
• What is your favorite Naples folk song?
• If you could take tourists to a “non-internet-famous” attraction, which one would you choose?
• Share an interesting game from your childhood.
• What do you think is the most important thing about slow life?

3. Atmosphere Creation and Safety Design

Warm yellow LED light strips are embedded in the edge of the bench base. A frosted acrylic protective cover is installed outside the light strips to prevent direct glare from the lights. A light-sensing control system is adopted: the light strips automatically turn on when the light brightness drops below 50lux in the evening, and the brightness is adjusted to 300lux (soft and non-dazzling, without affecting the rest of nearby residents), creating a warm communication atmosphere.

At the same time, the light strips also serve as night lighting, allowing the elderly to see the road conditions around the seats clearly and improving the safety of use. In addition, drainage holes are reserved at the bottom of the bench to prevent water accumulation and corrosion in rainy days; the connection between the seat and the ground uses reinforced bolts to ensure the overall structure is stable, with a load-bearing capacity of 200kg per person.

III. Auxiliary Design of Lightweight Digital Tools

A large QR code mark (15cm × 15cm in size) is set on the side of the bench’s small table. Below it, a concise text prompt “Scan the code to listen to local stories” is marked (in both Italian and English). After scanning the QR code, users enter a minimalist H5 page; no registration or login is required, and they can directly select and play themed audio content (each audio is 3-5 minutes long, with a moderate speaking speed and adjustable volume):

• “Local Elderly’s Bench Memories”: Collects life stories related to benches told by local elderly people in Naples to enhance emotional resonance;
• “Cultural Knowledge Behind the Topics”: Provides supplementary introductions to local elements in the turntable topics (such as Naples snacks and folk songs) to help visiting elderly tourists better participate in conversations;
• “Guide to Surrounding Social Spots”: Recommends social-friendly places within a 10-minute walk, such as elderly activity centers and cafes, to extend the social experience.

IV. Proposal Value

Through the combined model of “physical space + lightweight interaction + digital assistance”, this design not only avoids complex operations and conforms to the usage habits of the elderly group, but also accurately meets the core demand of “cultural interaction between local and visiting elderly groups”. The topic turntable provides a natural entry point for social interaction, the warm light atmosphere reduces communication tension, and the lightweight digital tools supplement cultural background information. This makes the “Neighborhood Chat” bench not only a resting facility, but also a vivid epitome of Naples’ “slow life” and “hospitality” culture.