A plan for an absentee planner: an exploratory study on designing end-of-life planning

Abstract This research aimed to gain insight into end-of-life (EOL) planning and explore design opportunities for EOL planning tools. Participants’ motivations, preferences, and expectations of holistic EOL planning were investigated using a qualitative approach. A concurrent card sort and in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 middle-aged participants living in Taiwan who intended to prepare for EOL. Four interlinked categories characterising the development of EOL planning tools were employed: authorised EOL plans and their alternatives; distinctions between public and private items; interrelationships between social events and personal relationships; and EOL planning as an evolving process. It appears that simply pursuing design outcomes and efficiency is insufficient in addressing EOL issues as EOL is both an overall state and a process. In designing for EOL planning, aspects such as relationships, emotions, and self-awareness must be included. Additionally, planning platform designs were proposed for recording, management, and delivery components.