Understanding Your Target Audience

One of the first things I address when I’m speaking to stakeholders is their target audience. While some stakeholders have a clear understanding of their target demographic, others might benefit more from exploring who their ideal users are for their product. More often than not a company that is first exploring their target audience expresses they want to attract a younger audience, namely Gen-Z. It makes sense to consider this demographic due to their potential for long-term engagement, it is important to acknowledge some challenges associated with targeting younger consumers.

Younger people are known to be more fickle, they are more quick to shift from one trend to another, They also have lower levels of trust in businesses and possess limited purchasing power. Reflecting on my own experience as a youthful consumer, I recognize that my decision-making was not the most informed. In a landscape where the shelf-life of products and services is shortening, it could be to a businesses advantage to consider the quietly fastest-growing demographic in the United States: individuals aged 65 and above.

Opportunities in Designing for the Elderly Population

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the population of individuals aged 65 and older is growing at a faster rate than younger age groups, indicating a continuous aging trend within the United States. This is a unique opportunity, as there are not many times in United States history elderly population growth outpaces other age groups with advancements in healthcare and increased life expectancy, and a declining birth rate since the 1960’s. It is important for designers to give this demographic due diligence in design decisions when developing products and services.

A great example of how markets are adjusting to this demographic shift is the explosive growth in need for healthcare-related jobs. Positions such as nurses and medical assistants are one of the fast-growing and highest-incentivized positions in the entry-level job market as more care is needed for the growing elderly population.

Over the next decade, a significant portion of the older population will consist of people who have embraced and adapted to technological advancements throughout their careers and are familiar with digital products. This demographic holds considerable purchasing power, especially as younger generations face economic uncertainties in the economy.

Designing with Accessibility in Mind

When designing for the elderly population, it is crucial to prioritize accessibility. The WCAG Accessibility Guidelines are the gold standard for considering all user accessibility needs. These guidelines cover auditory, physical, speech, language, and neurological design considerations. They cover various aspects such as button size, interactive states, development elements, web browser guidelines, and color contrasts. The front page of the guidelines include many resources and further reading of the importance of reaching different layers of success when designing for accessibility including quick reference guides and requirements for creating inclusive designs.

For standard usability, meeting Level AA benchmarks is recommended. However, when designing for the elderly, aiming for Level AAA can significantly improve the end-user experience, although being more challenging and time-consuming to meet. Level AAA compliance ensures that every aspect of the design considers the accessibility needs of the elderly population.

Some key considerations include incorporating accessible media and video, using alt tags for images, increasing the size of items, distinguishing interactive elements and states, ensuring proper contrast between text and backgrounds, and optimizing for mobile keyboards. Designers can leverage resources like the WAVE Website or Browser Extensions for WCAG Guideline-specific revisions, CSS & HTML Validator for semantic suggestions, and tools like Google Lighthouse and GTMetrix for comprehensive technical and accessibility-related fixes to make sure their designs meet accessibility benchmarks.

Embracing Accessibility Options

While aesthetics are important in design, functionality should always take precedence for interactive products. Following the principle that form follows function ensures an intuitive user experience, leaving users feeling competent and satisfied with the product.

For companies prioritizing style, investing in an accessibility mode can demonstrate consideration for elderly users’ needs. With how prioritized it has become to develop light and dark modes for apps, I suggest a similar function and priority for accessibility options. Presenting an option during onboarding or in the menu to enhance certain elements text size, pressable area size, or and contrast for example shows a commitment to inclusivity, even if users choose not to enable it. From a personal perspective, I feel considered and cared for when the product has that option, even if I choose to enable it or not.

Feel free to reach out to me to talk about design or development at mason.omara@gmail.com or through my contact form. I also encourage readers to explore the WCAG Accessibility Guidelines when exploring foundational designs.