Visual Accessibility in a Virtual Kitchen: Effects of Open Shelving on Performance, Cognitive Load, and Experience in Older Adults with and without MCI

TL;DR

This study shows that open shelving in a virtual kitchen improves task efficiency and reduces physical effort for older adults, with effects varying based on cognitive status and visual search behavior.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on how cabinet design influences performance and experience in older adults, highlighting benefits of open shelving for accessibility.

Findings

Open shelving reduced task duration and physical activity levels.

Gaze entropy increased, indicating changes in visual search organization.

Subjective and objective cognitive load indicators showed divergent effects.

Abstract

This study examines how visual accessibility through cabinet design influences task performance, cognitive load, physical activity level, motivation, and user experience in a virtual kitchen among older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Seventeen older adults (7 with MCI, 10 without) completed a repeated-measures item retrieval task under two conditions, closed cabinets and open shelving, using a counterbalanced within-subjects design. Measures included task duration, physical activity level (ENMO), cognitive load (NASA-TLX and gaze entropy), intrinsic motivation (IMI), and post-task interviews. Open shelving significantly reduced task duration (beta = -291.20, p < .001) and physical activity level (beta = -0.00615, p = .008). Gaze entropy increased (beta = 1.29, p = .001), with a significant Setting x MCI interaction (p = .009) and moderation by MoCA score (p < .001). NASA-TLX and intrinsic motivation did not differ significantly between conditions. Qualitative findings indicated reduced reliance on memory-based search and highlighted themes related to independence, aesthetics, safety, and adoption. Overall, visual accessibility improved efficiency and reduced movement demands while altering visual-search organization, with divergence between subjective and objective indicators of cognitive load. These findings support visually accessible design strategies to enhance functional performance and inform cognitively supportive built environments for aging populations.