PURPOSE: To identify, based on the literature, people with dementia's potentials to manage an easy-to-use videophone, and to develop a videophone requirement specification for people with dementia.

METHOD: The study is based on the Inclusive Design method, utilising the first two of four phases. Content analyses of literature reviews were used to identify users' potentials for managing a videophone and to gather recommendations regarding communication technology design for the target group. Existing videophones in Sweden were examined regarding potential fit to users with dementia.

FINDINGS: This led to detailed identification of cognitive, physical and psychosocial challenges that people with dementia will probably have when using an ordinary telephone or videophone. A requirement specification for videophone design to fit users with dementia was formulated, with the seven principles of Universal Design as a framework.

CONCLUSIONS: The requirement specification presented here is aimed at designing a videophone but might also facilitate design of other products for people with dementia, particularly in the field of communication technology. Based on this, further work will focus on developing a design concept and a prototype to be empirically tested by people with dementia and their significant others, i.e. the final two design process phases.