Doodle
Icon sketching test to study the knowledge and visual standards of digital icons among elderly demographics.
- It was evident that many elders preferred letter buttons over icons.
- However, I was curious to see if they could still understand and indicate messages with digital icons.
- Therefore, I conducted a quick icon sketch test to investigate this further.
The process proved fairly complex as only a few participants were familiar with the technology terms such as “icons” and “mobile buttons.” Despite providing detailed explanations, some refused to participate, citing a lack of artistic ability or unsure about what exactly they have to intent to draw.
To overcome this, I provided specific guidelines and examples to help them understand the task. Most elderly testers could create house-shaped sketches, but connecting them with digital language was challenging. Many needed clarification about illustrating “home” button requests unless they were already friendly towards technology.
Learnings: Overall Fail
- The drawing had no intention of representing a digital “home” button but was more of a house illustration.
- Through this exercise, I learned once again that it is hard for elders to adapt to the ideas of icons.
- Discovered that elders well understand universal symbols/signs.
- Reconstructing or designing older imageries could be a suitable solution for elders rather than upgrading contemporary minimalistic digital icons.
- I decided to research some old international signs. The common, well-known signage would be Olympic, transportation, or pictographic signs.
Industry expert interview
I interviewed six professionals who are in different industries to get a related advice and viewpoints about digital visual language for the elders.
Solution
To Improve digital accessibility and give consistent experience, we need digital language that are created for elderly users.
- Literacy:
Lower the barrier towards digital devices by helping them reading and understanding technology terms and icons. - Consistency:
Elderly users are willing to learn only one user scenario and hope it applies to every other applications. They want everything looks and functions in a same way. - Persistence: Sudden page shifts or hidden buttons were one of the most difficulties that elderly users were facing. It make them hard to navigate by creates a fear of making mistake, and thinking they might of break the devices. One of my interviewee said by 1 mistake all of the sudden stuff that she needed are all gone.
Process 04: Digital Language for Elders
User Persona
The user persona was created based on the interview I conducted with actual audience in as same age groups. Imagining future target audience gain a deeper understanding of their target audience.
Elderitional Dictionary
Translating tech words to a better vocabulary for senior users to understand. Such as FaceTime to video call, Unlock to open, Gallery to Album, and Filter settings as remote control. These features are later implemented on my core project Elderly UI Filter.
(The term was made based on Elder+international)
Icons
When I conduct UI preference test, many elders had trouble recognizing modern minimalistic icons. Which led me think they need their own icon sets that are designed based on their perspective and understandings.
- Familiarity, Something that they are used to, and already know.
- Transportation signs as a base style which were used for, a long time and known by seniors.
- Also got inspired by products from 1940s to 60s
- The process was very fun, it was like playing Pictionary with elders!
Elderly UI Filter
A universal UI filter to transform information on the page for the elderly users’ convenience. To Improve digital accessibility and give consistent experience, unifying each platforms's UI/UX experience is necessary for elders to learn one scenario and apply them for all.
- A universal UI filter to transform information on the page for the elderly users.
- Planned to implement in each digital platforms and give elders a choice of turn it on or off as how we change the language settings.
- Help seniors to navigate through different websites, just how they use Television remote control.
- The process was very fun, it was like playing Pictionary with elders!
Process 05: Wireframes + Component design