Designing for an Aging Population

About the talk

Marcus Ihejirika, principal at a universal-design consultancy, spoke at UW–Porter Falls in November 2025 as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, nominated by the College of Arts, Design & Communication.

What the talk covered

Ihejirika walked through case studies of products and spaces redesigned for older adults that ended up working better for everyone, making the case that "aging in place" design is really just good design with a longer time horizon.

A line worth remembering

“Every feature you add for a 78-year-old with mild arthritis, a tired 30-year-old with a bag of groceries will thank you for too.”

— Marcus Ihejirika

If you missed it

Distinguished Lecture Series talks are recorded and streamed live from the Halvorsen Library auditorium, and a recording is typically posted afterward through the sponsoring college's page. Reach the College of Arts, Design & Communication directly if you are looking for a specific talk that is not yet posted.

How it connected to coursework

The College of Arts, Design & Communication typically builds a short discussion or reflection assignment around its nominated speaker into at least one course that term, so students who could not attend live still engage with the ideas secondhand. Faculty who teach in areas adjacent to “Designing for an Aging Population” say the Q&A after the formal talk is usually where the most specific, applicable answers come out — worth staying for if you do attend in person.

Common questions

Can students propose a speaker? Each college nominates its own speaker; a student with a suggestion should raise it with a faculty member or the department office in the relevant college, since faculty typically make the actual nomination.

Is attendance required for any course? Some instructors offer extra credit or a short reflection assignment tied to a relevant talk, but attendance is never a blanket requirement across the university.