In this second of three workshops, we unboxed a variety of items together - including a robotic companion dog, key-finding devices, a small motion-activated reminder device, and some other everyday technologies, all recommended by the 'About Digital and Me' (ADAM) platform developed by Alzheimer Scotland. We explored how devices worked in practice - how intuitive the instructions were, how easy the setup felt, and what happened when devices met real lives.

It was such a joyful session. The robotic dog drew much attention and laughter, while the key-finding devices prompted practical conversations about what tends to go missing and how we might make every day searching a little easier. In some cases, devices designed specifically for people living with dementia (such as a simplified mobile phone) were difficult to set up, while in other cases overly complex packaging proved a challenge to many participants. This highlighted the importance of co-designing technologies alongside people with lived experience of dementia.

People also spent time playing and experimenting with a musical “slider box” developed by Jennifer MacRitchie's team, as the topic of music had been mentioned by participants in previous sessions.