Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society - Evidence

In this review of Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society the author examines how involving older adults in design improves relevance and uptake of e-services. The bottom line: this book is for researchers, public administrators and designers seeking evidence-based accounts of participatory service design in the public sector. It offers three comparative co-creation projects and practical insights on why many digital public services fail to match the life worlds and use practices of older users, making it a useful reference for anyone aiming to make e-services more meaningful.

Key Features

• Open access: freely available format makes the evidence and case studies easy to consult for practitioners and scholars without access barriers.
• Comparative case studies: three co-creation projects are described and contrasted, offering varied examples of methods and outcomes across contexts.
• User-centric focus: emphasises involvement of older adults at each stage of identification and design to increase relevance of digital public services.
• Theoretical and practical balance: combines conceptual discussion with concrete examples so readers can link theory to practice in service design.
• Policy relevance: addresses public administration challenges in ageing societies, useful for planners and policy makers considering e-service adoption.

Who It's For

This book is aimed at academics in public administration, human-computer interaction researchers, service designers and local government staff who need evidence and practical approaches for co-creating digital public services with older adults. Its focus on participatory design methods makes it especially relevant for project leads seeking to increase uptake among older service users.

Those seeking a technical manual on specific software or UX toolchains should look elsewhere, as the book concentrates on co-creation processes, comparative project evidence and implications for policy rather than step-by-step coding or commercial UX templates.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides clear case comparisons that illustrate how co-creation changes design priorities and outcomes in public services.
• Accessible open access delivery removes paywall obstacles and supports wider dissemination of findings.
• Focus on older adults brings attention to a high-need, often underrepresented user group in e-service research.

Cons

• The book emphasises process and evidence over technical implementation details, so readers expecting practical coding or product templates may find it less actionable.

Specifications

Title	Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society
Subtitle	Evidence for User-centric Design
Author	Juliane Jarke
Access	Open access
Focus	Co-creation of digital public services with older adults
Content type	Comparative case studies and analysis

Our Verdict

Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society is a focused, evidence-driven resource for researchers and practitioners interested in participatory design for public services. Its comparative cases and policy emphasis make it good value for those aiming to improve e-service relevance and uptake among older adults, though readers seeking technical how-to guidance should supplement it with practical UX resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book freely available?
Yes, the book is described as open access, meaning it is available without paywall barriers.

Who authored the work?
The book is written by Juliane Jarke and focuses on co-creation in public services for ageing societies.

Does it include practical case studies?
Yes, the book describes and compares three co-creation projects to illustrate user-centric design approaches.