Project in progress

The STAGE project keeps progressing. So far we have done a lot of important work, like, among other things:

• we conducted questionnaries with end users - older people - to define users profiles and preferences, and to create a standard profile of the STAGE platform user; importantly, we found out what kind of cultural activity they prefer, to what extent they are familiar with digital devices and many other information that oriented our ativities towards meeting the real, and not only hypothetical, needs and preferences - both cultural and technical - of our potential audience;

• we defined a procedure for involving end users in the project - to achieve this, we adopted a suitable methodology that let us establish selection criteria;

• we developed a draft graphical user interface and tested its functionality by presenting static pictures (mock-ups) to the elder people and asking for their opinion; As a result, for example, a preliminary version of the STAGE ICT platform's home page was adjusted to the needs and preferences of the respondents, and a new design will be proposed now;

• our detailed field studies on older people's perspective let us define technical specifications that should feature the STAGE platform to meet users' requirements;

The first version of the STAGE platform

The adjusted version of the STAGE platform

• we developed a prototype version of the STAGE platform and have been adding cultural events delivered to us by cooperating cultural institutions; the prototype of the platform offers live streaming and recorded events;

• we started the one-year-long pilot trials in three different Countries (Cyprus, Hungary and Italy) to carry out the co-design process, a key element of the project, and gradually implement, develop and customize the STAGE platform according to real users’ requirements and needs; finally, this will enable us to tailor and put on the market a highly usable product for older people’s entertainment;

• we organized busienss model workshops in Cyprus, Hungary, and Italy with external experts in the cultural sector and business development. The outputs enabled us to improve our initial ideas and base it on more detailed information regarding national markets;

• finally, we developed the final version of the STAGE prototype, and are going to commercialize our solution!