Slide1: Serving the Consumer: Older Adults andamp; Technology Mark Carpenter General Manager, Web Strategy andamp; Operations AARP Services, Inc. December 2005


AARP on telemedicine: AARP on telemedicine I believe telemedicine can bring us to a point where the consumers of health care and medical services have the information they need, especially if they are going to participate in their own care and make intelligent, informed decisions about the doctors and hospitals they use and which course of treatment to follow.'  — Thomas 'Byron' Thames, M.D. American Telemedicine Association Conference Tampa FL, May 2, 2004 '


An aging population: An aging population


Technology can help…: Technology can help…


Internet as connection: Internet as connection November 14, 2005 November 18, 2005


…but will they use it?: This is not today’s 'older adult.' …but will they use it?


Older, wiser, and wired!: Older, wiser, and wired!


Design is good business: Design is good business Older adults are using the Internet and other technology products—contrary to assumptions that they can’t or won’t learn—and they represent a sizable market Experiences can be improved by usable design choices (font sizes, colors, link conventions, etc) Designing for older adults makes products easier for all adults


Challenges : Challenges Aging-related issues: cognitive impairments, vision issues, motor skills, etc. Experience-related issues: tendency to be very thorough tendency to blame themselves security andamp; privacy lack of collaborative learning Barriers to participation: access, skills, relevance, poor design


Usable design: Usable design Designing Web Sites for Older Adults: A Review of Recent Literature aarp.org/olderwiserwired


What we reviewed: What we reviewed Books, articles, web sites, papers, etc. Published between 2000 and 2004 Studies on designing and evaluating web sites for older adults in areas of: Interaction and navigation Information architecture Visual design Information design


What we found : What we found Older adults are diverse – much more than is usually thought about regarding technology: Age: chronological and experiential Ability: physical and cognitive limitations and remediation Aptitude: expertise with computers and web Attitude: positive and risk-taking or negative and risk-averse; need for support from others


Design guidelines: Design guidelines What are heuristics? A 'heuristic' for a given problem is a way of directing your attention fruitfully to a potential usability issue, such as 'Is the default type size 12 points or larger?' Developed for this study: 20 heuristics with 100 questions for looking at web sites from the point of view of older adults


Interaction design: Interaction design Use conventional interaction elements and make sure those elements act in conventional ways. Make clickable items easy to target and hit. Ensure that the Back button behaves predictably. Let the user stay in control. Provide clear feedback on actions


Information architecture: Information architecture Clearly label content categories; assist recognition and retrieval rather than recall Implement the shallowest possible information hierarchy. Include a site map (if appropriate) and link to it from every page.


Visual design: Visual design Make it easy to skim or scan. Visually group related topics. Make sure text and background colors contrast. Use adequate white space to assist reading.


Information design: Information design Make it easy to find things quickly. Focus the writing on audience and purpose. Use the users’ language; minimize jargon and technical terms


AARP model and personas: AARP model and personas


For more information: For more information Designing Web Sites for Older Adults: A review of recent, relevant research Designing Web Sites for Older Adults: Expert review of usability for older adults www.aarp.org/olderwiserwired Mark Carpenter AARP Services, Inc. mcarpenter@aarp.org