Designing for an aging population

DESIGNING FORAN AGING POPULATION

Jeff JohnsonUI Wizards

@neyricardo • IxDA Redux Campo Grande

Making the Case for Age-Friendly Design


Design for older adults, and you design for almost everyone else. [Alan Newell]

Populations with similar usability issues:● Those with low vision or other impairments● Those with low literacy● Those with little technical experience● Those with obsolete technical experience● Second language learners● Those with certain cognitive impairments

Many Adults, Not Just OAs, Have Hearing, Visual, or Motor Impairments


Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2012 (Published 2014)

Older Adults Comprise Growing #s in Nations’ Populations


Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision.

Individual Variation


● Aging is a continuous process● Change is not linear, or uniform● Effects of aging are highly idiosyncratic● As group’s average age increases:

○ Rates of change in abilities increase○ Ranges of abilities increase

Tech can be transformative...


● Faster computers● More colours● More pixels● Sensitive sensors● Accessibility improvements

... but all is NOT WELL


So much to remember!

I wish they would stop changing things for no good reason.

What happened to the menus?

How can I make the font bigger?

I can’t see it!

Who thought grey thin letters would be a good idea?

My limitations frustrate me but I don't know where to get help.

All the new technology is so confusing to me.

It's embarrassing to have to ask my grandkid's help

Age-Related Changes & Characteristics


Vision

Motor Control

Speech & Hearing

Cognition: Atiention, Learning, Memory

Knowledge


VISION

VISION CHANGES


NORMAL PRESBYOPIA

VISION CHANGES


LENS YELLOWING GLARE SENSITIVITY

VISION CHANGES


NORMALReduced Light

Sensitivity


MOTOR

MOTOR CONTROL


Visual Search Slows with Age


https://youtu.be/2rFl8kxB6ME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rFl8kxB6ME



MOTOR CONTROL



SPEECHAND

HEARING

SPEECH & HEARING


Speech:● Slower rate of speech● Reduced articulation

SPEECH & HEARING


Hearing - harder to:● Filter out background sounds● Localize sounds● Understand fast speech● Hear low volume sounds● Detect high-pitched sounds

SPEECH & HEARING


https://youtu.be/IrewnzQYrPI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrewnzQYrPI




COGNITIONAttention, learning, memory

COGNITION ISSUES



KNOWLEGE

KNOWLEGE ISSUES



WE KNOW HOW TO DESIGN THAT RIGHT!


SO WHY DON'T WE?


WHO ARE WEDESIGNING FOR?

TOP RECOMMENDATIONS


Legibility

Visual Simplicity

Conceptual Simplicity

Consistency

Redundancy

Support

#VLWFLW@NEYRICARDO


Designing for an aging population

Design

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