This article lists the characteristics of the target users of such products for the elderly and the corresponding design points.
Product designers love what we design for.
No, I’m not talking about our customers (although we should align with them too), but about the end users of our products.
For three years, I’ve been senior-focused – working as a designer for a wellness company working to improve the lives of America’s aging population.
It never occurred to me that designing for seniors is one of the best crash courses when it comes to being a product designer.
These are the lessons I’ve designed on the Baby Boomers over the past few years. I share these because I know that most of them are not just for seniors, but anyone we design for regardless of age.
Never underestimate your users
I’ve always had a soft spot for old people, mostly because when I see an older person, I think of my grandparents.
I love my grandparents dearly and spent a lot of time growing up with them, but because of that, I think I have learned something about how old people behave. I think I at least understand how they use technology and how important it is to them.
But it turns out I was wrong.
When I was doing user testing on some products in the early stages of persona design, I was struck by this “don’t assume you know your users” revelation.
I think things have to be simplified to the point where it goes against the prevailing perception. Because technology is difficult, right? Then the test results started appearing.
As I watched us conduct these unfettered user tests, I began to see that senior citizens had the same competence and knowledge about their phones and computers as we did, albeit with certain flexibility limitations. This is especially the case with the fitness products I design – I was horrified when an elderly woman was testing the design, using an accessibility feature in the iPhone that I didn’t know about, to try and fix its usability issues.
From now on, I look at our aging population with a new lens. This phenomenon shows that today, almost everyone, regardless of age, has expectations and capabilities for technology. Never assume that you fully understand someone’s abilities.
Accessibility is Everyone’s Win
While I recognize that seniors are just as capable of using technology as millennials, that doesn’t mean I can easily design products for seniors.
Because, when designing for the elderly, there are many things to keep in mind. Here’s what I’ve learned the most about older adults:
Agile
Arthritis and years of hard work can make it difficult for seniors to operate a smartphone. For many people, even the simple act of skating can be difficult.
Simple solution: provide a fixed button to replace any swipe elements, and keep over-the-top interactions to a minimum.
Vision
There is no doubt that older people use smaller websites and apps, and small text will definitely have problems.
Simple solution: A general rule of thumb is to have a minimum word size of no less than 14 pt (preferably 16 pt). You can still design beautiful interfaces with this size.
Color
I can relate quite well to this aspect of things. Color blindness is a very real phenomenon as the cone cells in the eye age or become misaligned as we age.
Simple solution: Make sure a lot of contrast is used in interactive elements. WebAim’s contrast checker is pretty good at making sure you’re meeting the proper ratio.
Accuracy
Combine dexterity issues and mild vision impairment, and you quickly realize that those cool-looking little buttons on iOS are nothing short of a nightmare for seniors.
Simple solution: Make sure the target area of the design action is large enough to be negligible, but still take the user where they want to go.
Clear
As the saying goes, “don’t make me think”. Especially for older people. It’s not that they don’t understand something, it’s that if something is unclear (for example, due to a certain movement), they don’t click/click like young people. They don’t want to waste time exploring your app or website. They need to know what to expect after they take action, or they will abandon your product.
Remember
Going back to the “don’t remind me” rule, “don’t remind me”. If a man has to remember how to do something, he may forget. This is even more true for older people. Clearly marking the actions someone can take on the UI will help them guide you easily, even if they use your app or website every day.
I know I’m forgetting some other information now, but this is the most useful information I’ve learned while designing for seniors. But here’s the point: These aren’t exclusive to older adults.
A colleague of mine mentioned that if you design something that is easy to use for seniors, it should be easy to use for everyone else. But, that’s right, why should young people think more about using your product? Why would you get a shiny award for some prettier UI? You can still meet basic human-computer interaction needs while designing a beautiful interface.
Everyone wants beautiful products
Speaking of slick design, when you’re designing for an older crowd, don’t just assume that everything has to look like those phones with jitterbugs.
I learned this lesson firsthand when I started working as a UX designer – I tried to shut up 10+ years of visual designers and focus on practicality.
Like all of us, seniors want to own flashy digital gadgets that they can be proud of (and show off to their friends).
Don’t think just yet that everything will be like those annoying Jitterbug phones…
This made me the designer of the UX for several months after I tested that we had been working for a while. I won’t go into details about the project, but all I can say is that it pains me when you hear the line “This is so boring, I don’t think I’ll use it.”
There’s plenty of other words to choose from from some honest old folks during testing, and our feedback on other tests — all of which, like everyone else, speak volumes about how they focus on the product’s bright spots.
Don’t forget, everyone deserves to experience visual beauty. They will remember your product whether it’s compliments or nonsense, so don’t be stupid like me.
Make a beautiful design – your users will thank you for it.
Implicit
I think seniors are one of the most suitable product targets.
I did more research, discussion and testing with my predecessors before I realized this. Like all of us, they can be very candid about products they like or dislike, but I often find that they are extremely polite and self-conscious about how I feel as a designer.
That’s not a good thing.
When I talk about feedback from users, I want to be very honest. I want the people I design to be able to tell me why they can’t bear to use what I create. This is how we improve our products through honest feedback.
While it might feel good to get warm plush and hear someone’s voice during an apparently frustrating experience, it doesn’t do the end user any favors in the long run. With the company of my elders, I learned to read words and characters. That “angry” sound when they hesitate or struggle to find something good, or look for something on the screen, I know that interaction is what should be addressed.
Don’t be blinded by kindness and focus on solving the pain points of your product.
Technology is helping
This has something to do with previous accessibility agreements, but I quickly noticed it as I watched how older adults interacted with computers, phones, and tablets. Technology is helping people get all kinds of things more easily than before.
I often see seniors using large fonts on their phones, bookmarking their webpages at an exponential rate to remember where things are, and ditching their computers in order to buy more portable tablets. It’s clear that while we might think technology is getting more complex (and it is), it’s also becoming more flexible and easier for all types of people.
This means that when we design for older people, we should really understand how they use these technologies, and how they use them. If you think most seniors use Jitterbug phones you are wrong. According to my observation, in fact, the most used by the elderly are iPhone and iPad. While perhaps a generation or two behind the latest models, the point is that these devices can be tailored for the elderly, like other ghoulish devices caught in prejudice.
Enjoy every moment
The last thing I’ve designed for seniors over the past few years is that they revolve around happy, learning people who are different from you. Many of our designers find exciting challenges in almost any job, but an obsession with users brings a little extra joy to what we do. In fact, it’s becoming less and less of a thing and a truly amazing part of my™ part.
As I began to really understand what this group is capable of and the excitement of designing for someone decades older than me, I wanted to learn as much about them as possible. I now enjoy reading studies and books about aging populations, especially when it comes to technological developments. One example of this is books like The Longevity Economy, which keep me open to my team and what I can leverage.
So, no matter what your age, enjoy the lessons you have for yourself and remember them. What I’m talking about today doesn’t just apply to older people, it applies to every type of person we design for when you dig deeper.
