A Study on Curriculum Reform for Age-Friendly Product Design Driven by Generative AI and Knowledge Graphs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67148/fahss-2026-221Keywords:
design for the elderly; generative AI; knowledge graphs; curriculum reform; design educationAbstract
The accelerating pace of population aging has shifted the focus of age-friendly product design from a narrow product development issue to a comprehensive educational agenda encompassing user needs, social care, and the cultivation of design talent. As an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented course within the product design curriculum, “Age-Friendly Product Design” not only requires students to master the characteristics of elderly users, age-friendly design principles, and product evaluation methods, but also demands that they be able to translate this knowledge into concrete design solutions.Addressing issues in course instruction—such as fragmented knowledge structures, insufficient practical application, and weak process-based assessment—this study constructs a curriculum reform framework supported by the integration of generative AI and knowledge graphs. It uses knowledge graphs to optimize the organization of course content, leverages generative AI to facilitate the translation of design concepts into practice, and enhances process-based assessment through records of AI usage and the outcomes of phased assignments.Starting from the challenges of knowledge organization and practical application in age-friendly product design courses, this study elucidates the underlying logic of how generative AI and knowledge graphs synergistically support design instruction, providing a practical reference for collaborative reform in knowledge organization, design practice, and process evaluation within design courses at applied universities.
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