Exploratory research on cognitive fluency design for the older adults through Nostalgia-based empowerment

As global aging intensifies, issues in age-friendly cultural consumption design have become increasingly apparent. Existing age-friendly designs primarily focus on simplifying functions while neglecting cognitive fluency, resulting in the current dilemma of “high demand-low adoption.” To systematically validate the impact of cognitive fluency design, empowered by nostalgia, on age-friendly cultural consumption through a three-dimensional cognitive-physiological-psychological framework. Extensive literature searches and data collection were conducted across electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI. This was followed by field research and interviews using questionnaire surveys. Findings were further refined through data analysis to advance research on cognitive fluency design for aging-friendly.This study is exploratory in nature, with a relatively small sample size, and the conclusions primarily provide preliminary reference and ideas for subsequent related research. Findings demonstrate that in terms of emotional activation, nostalgic design effectively triggers pleasant feelings and enhances cognitive fluency among older adults. This approach yields multifaceted benefits for their physical and mental well-being, with particularly significant effects on orientation, memory, and fluency. This intervention pathway is crucial in research on cognitive fluency in aging. Cognitive fluency design is the key variable in overcoming the ‘last mile’ of age-friendly adaptation, and it needs to be supported by nostalgia-empowerment strategies to aid contemporary age-friendly design.