The implications of robots’ design for their acceptance in nursing settings, particularly for elderly people and those involved in their care, have not been thoroughly considered from an information design perspective. This research gap is addressed here, as such a perspective enables consideration of several important socio-cultural aspects of robots, including potentially significant elements of visual culture. Since all these aspects influence views of robots as aids for elderly people, there is a need to understand how robots’ design (in terms of appearance) and perceptions of aging influence intended elderly users, their relatives, caregivers and decision-makers. Robots materialize digital technology, both metaphorically and literally. AI and embedded systems enable robots to act, but the shape and materials selected to make them influence our interactions with them. Thus, as shown in this paper, application of an information design perspective can provide deeper insights about the influences of current and historical culture and media on both the perceptions and experiences of aging, and relations of these perceptions and experiences to the acceptance (or lack of acceptance) of robots as tools for nursing old people.