Older adults are being marginalised as a youth obsessed society leave them behind. Decades of the media stereotyping older people as inept and useless with technology has led to a culture of companies omitting anyone over 50 being meaningfully included in research. This leads to products and services that fail to meet everyones needs.
Illustration created by Robert Andre robertandre@mac.com
22. Age 65
Denis -
“When
I was 20, looking at people of 65 then, they
were bowed under with the pressures of life,
they looked old. Nowadays I don’t know how
old I feel, I don’t know how old I act, but I
don’t in my own mind associate myself of
my memory of those 65 year olds.”
23. There are currently 11 million people in the
UK between 45 and 60.
They own 70% of the nation's wealth. In
20 years time they could own 85-90% of
disposable income in the UK.
(Source: Martin Raymond, The Future Laboratory)
24. Over 50s buy 80% of all top of the range cars, 50%
of skincare products, 80% of leisure cruises.
(Source: Senioragency International)
25. Over 50s buy 80% of all top of the range cars, 50%
of skincare products, 80% of leisure cruises.
(Source: Senioragency International)
26. Technology is part of
their lives
Older adults love and rely on
technology.
27. Those aged 50+ spend more
time online that 18-24 year olds.
(Flamingo International, 2009)
28. There are equal numbers of age 55+
with iPhones as the 24-30 age bracket
(Flamingo International, 2009)
29. 27% of Americans, age 50+
use social networks
49% of all adults age 50 and older said
they consider themselves extremely
or very comfortable using the
Internet.
( Source AARP, n=1,360)
38. “It’s drummed into them. They’ve got
it in front of them now from the day “I would never have something just
they’re born. If I’ve been born then I for the sake of having it unless if was
would be fluent with everything in this really useful and really necessary.” ~
world.” ~ Celia Drena
12. Drena and David
11. Celia
44. Fear of breaking something
“I would be scared to go into the
technology side of that box in case I
messed it up and got to call Sky out.”
~ David
“I would never touch these. I would be
frightened to muck something up.”
~ John
“I’m not going to go to anything like that in
case I mess something up... That is over
my head.” ~ Fay
45. Older adults can’t be
defined as one group
It’s impossible to define ‘old’.
51. Dr Patricia Moore
Ph.D. FIDSA, Gerontologist, President
of Moore Design Associates, adjunct
professor of industrial design at Arizona
State University.
52. Ethnography:
The Empathic Model
One of the Dr. Patricia Moore is best known for conducting an intensive three-year study of
pioneers of the way our society treats its elders. At the age of 26 while studying Gerontology at
the Universal Columbia University, Moore collaborated with a makeup artist to transform herself into
Design the character of woman more than eighty years of age, with a range of health and
socioeconomic status challenges. She utilized wigs, theatrical make-up, padding, and
movement,
costuming to make her look the part. More importantly, a variety of prosthetics were
Dr. Patricia
employed to limit her physical capacity. Splinted legs and back, taped fingers, cloudy
Moore, is
glasses, and hearing limiters achieved the simulation of an elder woman’s experience
professionally encountering a world designed and built for younger, healthier individuals. This Empathic
associated Model allowed Moore to be perceived as an elder by those around her, and provided her
with Flamingo true access to other elders. The resultant interactions enabled Moore to develop unique
International. insights into the challenges that elders face as consumers, far more effectively than
traditional research methods had ever allowed.
In her own words: “While I was in character, I traveled to more than 100 cities throughout
the United States and Canada. I experienced, firsthand, the reaction of people who,
upon encountering an older woman, a physically challenged woman, chose either to
support my presence or look the other way. I was shown kindness, friendship and love.
And I experienced rejection, hatred and fear. I was attacked by a gang of young boys
on an isolated city street, mugged, beaten and left for dead. The injuries I sustained
have left me with permanent challenge and constant pain. When I reemerged from
the study, once again a young woman, I was forever changed, both as a person and
a professional.” Moore’s experience provides the means by which communities and
corporations alike can benefit. Her rare understanding of elders and consumers of all
abilities has impacted the quality of global products and environments. Moore continues
to expand the knowledge base and concerns for lifespan consumer needs by expanding
the user-centered design research inspired by her Empathic Research Model.
Brian McMahon
Flamingo New York
I experienced
rejection, hatred
Call Brian McMahon at our NYC offices for more information on Dr. Moore and her
association with Flamingo International: +1 212-886-8300. Read the complete story of
and fear.
this study in DISGUISED: A TRUE STORY by Pat Moore, available on Amazon.
28 29
54. The walking stick trick
“She refuses to carry a cane,
because she doesn’t want to be
viewed as one of those people.” ~
Daughter of lady
55. The walking stick trick
“There is a fear that people will
see us as somehow less, disabled,
frail, doddery, etc.”
56. The walking stick trick
“Design is often the disabling
element; We need to stop viewing
people as disabled and broken,
but as consumers that merely use
products differently.
Design can turn around these
stigmas and stereotypes or it can
reinforce them.”
~ Dr Patricia Moore
64. Sensory modalities
• Kinaesthetic sensitivity
• Control movement & speed Vision - key fact
Most older people have good
vision. Visual acuity of 20/25 or
• Audition better is seen in 98% of those
between 75 and 85.
- The Framingham Eye Study
• Visual acuity (short/long)
66. Cognition
• Semantic memory- OK
• Event-based prospective
memory - OK
• Working memory :(
• Procedural knowledge - OK
67. Cognition
• Semantic memory- OK
• Event-based prospective
memory - OK
• Working memory :(
• Procedural knowledge - OK
“Tasks that I do on a day to day basis I have no problem with. If it’s
something I haven’t done for six months then I have to rethink how to do it.
It’s difficult taking on new tasks, new technology.” ~ Richard
I became involved in the field of Gerontechnology through a research project - please don't ask me for expert advice! - Personal journey.\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
This for many years this was the paragon of desirability. Young, slim, healthy and wearing speedos!\n\nConsider youth’s nemesis, ageing. Look at these images.... than being attractive it’s either ignored or made the fun of.\n\nDon Marquis, the poet once said... “Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough”\n
People have always valued youth, however the power of the media has amplified this tendency to a degree that may, carries consequences.\n\n
Our society is obsessed with youth. For example Less than 5 percent of television character portrayed as over the age of 60\n
People are now fighting the marginalisation of older people.\n
So if being young is seen as good, then getting old must be a bad thing.\n\nThe market is flooded with ‘cures’ for ageing\n
So if being young is seen as good, then getting old must be a bad thing.\n\nThe market is flooded with ‘cures’ for ageing\n
Think about the terms often used in connection our older people...\n
He had observed that some of the most ageist terms he heard came from the most elderly.\n\nThis is called ‘terror management theory’ - which states that “when people encounter others who represent a threat to their self, their perceptions of and behaviors toward the threatening person tend to be more negative” \n\n
And death isn’t a great thing....\n\nWoody Allen said “I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens.”\n\nSo how about in our industry, are we somehow immune from stereotyping older adults?...\n
The stereotypes abound that older people are useless with technology, incapable of using the latest gadget.\n\nAs a result their needs aren’t considered.\n\nFor example, I worked for a large international company that explicitly excluded anyone over 45 from being recruited for any user user research. A product manager that told me ‘old people never use apps’ and therefore she didn’t want ‘them’ included in any trials.\n\n
The stereotypes abound that older people are useless with technology, incapable of using the latest gadget.\n\nAs a result their needs aren’t considered.\n\nFor example, I worked for a large international company that explicitly excluded anyone over 45 from being recruited for any user user research. A product manager that told me ‘old people never use apps’ and therefore she didn’t want ‘them’ included in any trials.\n\n
The stereotypes abound that older people are useless with technology, incapable of using the latest gadget.\n\nAs a result their needs aren’t considered.\n\nFor example, I worked for a large international company that explicitly excluded anyone over 45 from being recruited for any user user research. A product manager that told me ‘old people never use apps’ and therefore she didn’t want ‘them’ included in any trials.\n\n
Broadly speaking, this is the way things are.\n\nOlder people are an afterthought, if there’s budget or time they are included.\n\n
Broadly speaking, this is the way things are.\n\nOlder people are an afterthought, if there’s budget or time they are included.\n\n
We have to shake off this outdated view.\n\nSo what do we know about how older adults are buying and using technology?\n
Life expectancy has grown 30 years in the last century.\n\nIn in addition to physical ageing people are feeling younger. \n
Life expectancy has grown 30 years in the last century.\n\nIn in addition to physical ageing people are feeling younger. \n
Life expectancy has grown 30 years in the last century.\n\nIn in addition to physical ageing people are feeling younger. \n
Life expectancy has grown 30 years in the last century.\n\nIn in addition to physical ageing people are feeling younger. \n
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Technology represents inclusion in society. Older adults have genuine fears about being marginalised from the main-stream, as a result they are keen to ‘keep up’ with all aspects of life; This includes using devices that help then connect with friends and family such as email, digital photography and mobile phones.\n
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Although older adults aren’t a homogeneous group, I would say that there are a few needs that are more likely to be articulated by older people....\n
There is a stated need for simplicity.\n\nIn my experience older adults express an appreciation for simplicity.\n
Older adults are more likely to prioritise simplicity over complexity. This may be tied in to a diminishment in our working memory speed and capacity.\n
Retirees have to watch out for costs and the fact that they’ve not grown up with technology may make them scared to go into advanced settings.\n\nHowever, these ‘needs’ aren’t the sole domain of older adults. These needs are common in people of all ages.\n
Retirees have to watch out for costs and the fact that they’ve not grown up with technology may make them scared to go into advanced settings.\n\nHowever, these ‘needs’ aren’t the sole domain of older adults. These needs are common in people of all ages.\n
What is ageing anyway? Academics distinguish between chronological age, psychological age, social age, physical or biological age, and developmental age. \n\nThe UK government sees old age starting at 50, whilst the EU uses the age of 45 as the cutoff for ‘being old’.\n\nIt may well be that an fit and youthfully minded 80 year old has less physical impairments than someone in their 40s that feels old.\n\nSo depending on who you ask you might, or might not, be old! Therefore, we cannot treat older adults as one group possessing a common set of behaviours and impediments.\n\n---\nConi, Davison, and Webster (1984) suggest that the terms ‘ageing’, ‘elderly’, and ‘old’ commonly refer to people over sixty. \n
My nana - she’s mid 80s-Just returned from Holland where she’s been having hash cookies after having a facelift. Goes to the gym every day and has completed several computer courses.\n
Within these generations there is a huge variety of attitudes to retirement, family and technology.\n\nConsequently, we cannot treat older adults as one group possessing a common set of behaviours and impediments.\n\nYet I still here comments such as ‘older users do X’ \n
When approaching the subject of ‘designing for older adults’ we have to ask ourselves, who we are referring to and what do they value and need?\n
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Empathic design.\n\nFor three years, Dr. Moore traveled in the persona of an 80 year old, achieving the transformation with complicated prosthetics that simulated the sensory and appearance changes of ageing.\n
While in Japan she noticed an elderly lady making her way up steep steps to a temple, which the lady did every morning. She observed that the lady swapped her walking stick for her daughter’s umbrella and then set off to climb the steep steps.\nDr Moore chatted with the lady’s daughter. She explained, to Dr Moore, the reason her mother would use an umbrella rather than her walking stick; “She refuses to carry a cane, because she doesn’t want to be viewed as one of those people.”\n\nSingling out 'the old' can have a negative marginalising effect. Catering for 'their' needs is sometimes an afterthought in many projects.\n\nBy having separate work-streams for their 'special' needs is often considered to be a burden to organisations with negative stereotypes and assumptions associated with this group.\n\n
While in Japan she noticed an elderly lady making her way up steep steps to a temple, which the lady did every morning. She observed that the lady swapped her walking stick for her daughter’s umbrella and then set off to climb the steep steps.\nDr Moore chatted with the lady’s daughter. She explained, to Dr Moore, the reason her mother would use an umbrella rather than her walking stick; “She refuses to carry a cane, because she doesn’t want to be viewed as one of those people.”\n\nSingling out 'the old' can have a negative marginalising effect. Catering for 'their' needs is sometimes an afterthought in many projects.\n\nBy having separate work-streams for their 'special' needs is often considered to be a burden to organisations with negative stereotypes and assumptions associated with this group.\n\n
While in Japan she noticed an elderly lady making her way up steep steps to a temple, which the lady did every morning. She observed that the lady swapped her walking stick for her daughter’s umbrella and then set off to climb the steep steps.\nDr Moore chatted with the lady’s daughter. She explained, to Dr Moore, the reason her mother would use an umbrella rather than her walking stick; “She refuses to carry a cane, because she doesn’t want to be viewed as one of those people.”\n\nSingling out 'the old' can have a negative marginalising effect. Catering for 'their' needs is sometimes an afterthought in many projects.\n\nBy having separate work-streams for their 'special' needs is often considered to be a burden to organisations with negative stereotypes and assumptions associated with this group.\n\n
While in Japan she noticed an elderly lady making her way up steep steps to a temple, which the lady did every morning. She observed that the lady swapped her walking stick for her daughter’s umbrella and then set off to climb the steep steps.\nDr Moore chatted with the lady’s daughter. She explained, to Dr Moore, the reason her mother would use an umbrella rather than her walking stick; “She refuses to carry a cane, because she doesn’t want to be viewed as one of those people.”\n\nSingling out 'the old' can have a negative marginalising effect. Catering for 'their' needs is sometimes an afterthought in many projects.\n\nBy having separate work-streams for their 'special' needs is often considered to be a burden to organisations with negative stereotypes and assumptions associated with this group.\n\n
While in Japan she noticed an elderly lady making her way up steep steps to a temple, which the lady did every morning. She observed that the lady swapped her walking stick for her daughter’s umbrella and then set off to climb the steep steps.\nDr Moore chatted with the lady’s daughter. She explained, to Dr Moore, the reason her mother would use an umbrella rather than her walking stick; “She refuses to carry a cane, because she doesn’t want to be viewed as one of those people.”\n\nSingling out 'the old' can have a negative marginalising effect. Catering for 'their' needs is sometimes an afterthought in many projects.\n\nBy having separate work-streams for their 'special' needs is often considered to be a burden to organisations with negative stereotypes and assumptions associated with this group.\n\n
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Tell story - In an interview with staff at James Smith & Sons of London they report that sales of their combined umbrella-walking stick are high. They remarked that the reason people purchase this item is to disguise the fact that they need an assistive device as they don’t wish to be viewed as old and needy. In short, they don’t want to seem different.\n\nLesson: The sheer magnitude of the population shift (toward senior) necessitates greater design sense and expertise. We would do well to design for society as a whole and not assuming certain age groups have homogenous abilities and attitudes.\n
“A few years ago a leisure centre advertised ‘Keep-fit classes for the over-60s’. Nobody turned up. To broaden the appeal, they advertised ‘Keep-fit classes for the over-50s’. The sessions sold out. Not one of those joining was under 65 years of age.\n\nHow many 65-year-olds want to attend anything aimed at the over-60s? And how many small cars would be sold if advertisements showed them being driven by pensioners (the people who actually buy them) rather than elfin 27-year-olds in capri pants?\n
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I just thought I would go over a few of the typical effects of ageing. I’m no expert by any means, but I’ve read a total of 6 books on the subject and spent time with Dr Prentice, who has given me a general idea what biological ageing looks like.\n
As a rule of thumb, to estimate movement times, on average, older adults will be approximately one and a half to two times slower than their younger counterparts. This is due to poorer perceptual feedback, increase ‘noise’ in their motor pathway and strategy differences in approaching the task\n\nBy the age of 65 more than 50 percent of men ad 30 percent of women suffer hearing loss\n\n\n
As a rule of thumb, to estimate movement times, on average, older adults will be approximately one and a half to two times slower than their younger counterparts. This is due to poorer perceptual feedback, increase ‘noise’ in their motor pathway and strategy differences in approaching the task\n\nBy the age of 65 more than 50 percent of men ad 30 percent of women suffer hearing loss\n\n\n
As a rule of thumb, to estimate movement times, on average, older adults will be approximately one and a half to two times slower than their younger counterparts. This is due to poorer perceptual feedback, increase ‘noise’ in their motor pathway and strategy differences in approaching the task\n\nBy the age of 65 more than 50 percent of men ad 30 percent of women suffer hearing loss\n\n\n
As a rule of thumb, to estimate movement times, on average, older adults will be approximately one and a half to two times slower than their younger counterparts. This is due to poorer perceptual feedback, increase ‘noise’ in their motor pathway and strategy differences in approaching the task\n\nBy the age of 65 more than 50 percent of men ad 30 percent of women suffer hearing loss\n\n\n
Semantic memory– does not appear to decline with normal ageing. Semantic memory is defined as the store of factual information accrued through a lifetime.\n\nEvent-based prospective memory depends on performing some action after an event has occurred, such as remembering to feed the dog after a timer sounds.\n\nWorking memory.\nThe brain’s ability to hold multiple ‘chunks’ of information simultaneously, prior to processing, shrinks with age. These simultaneous processing demands are handled by working memory, a limited capacity storage and processing component of the human information-processing system.\n\nOlder adults have difficulties recalling auditory instructions, particularly if they involve several steps. They also have problems remembering sequences.\n\nThe second problem that arises is the transfer of knowledge from working to long-term memory (learning). Older adults require more practice to do this, which makes it harder for them to learn complex procedures especially if they are carried out infrequently.\n\nProcedural knowledge is knowledge about how to perform activities. This includes everything from automatic knowledge, such as riding a bike to explicit, but well-practiced routines such as following a recipe.\n\nFrom a design perspective, it is important to make the same actions consistent across different systems and tasks. When designing ‘training & instruction’ these need to be consistent with elements of the task. These consistent elements can form important learning modules.\n\n
Semantic memory– does not appear to decline with normal ageing. Semantic memory is defined as the store of factual information accrued through a lifetime.\n\nEvent-based prospective memory depends on performing some action after an event has occurred, such as remembering to feed the dog after a timer sounds.\n\nWorking memory.\nThe brain’s ability to hold multiple ‘chunks’ of information simultaneously, prior to processing, shrinks with age. These simultaneous processing demands are handled by working memory, a limited capacity storage and processing component of the human information-processing system.\n\nOlder adults have difficulties recalling auditory instructions, particularly if they involve several steps. They also have problems remembering sequences.\n\nThe second problem that arises is the transfer of knowledge from working to long-term memory (learning). Older adults require more practice to do this, which makes it harder for them to learn complex procedures especially if they are carried out infrequently.\n\nProcedural knowledge is knowledge about how to perform activities. This includes everything from automatic knowledge, such as riding a bike to explicit, but well-practiced routines such as following a recipe.\n\nFrom a design perspective, it is important to make the same actions consistent across different systems and tasks. When designing ‘training & instruction’ these need to be consistent with elements of the task. These consistent elements can form important learning modules.\n\n
On my research I’ve often come across older people that have created their own cheat sheet. This is often a stepping stone before they commit functions to procedural memory.\n
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So what’s one possible approach?\n
We know that older adults often complain that they can’t read things, they’re too small. They can’t pick out the salient bits, such as who to call etc.\n\nThis needs isn’t exclusive to the older generations. For example, Robin, a chap I met that’s 30 years old complained of exactly the same things. Not because his glasses don’t work, but he’s rushed, overwhelmed with marketing copy and just wants to know when his broadband will be activated.\n\nThe principle of universal design is that if we improved things for older adults, everyone else would benefit too.\n\nWhat in once case may be a design improvement for age-related physical decline, such as increasing the target area on a travel app, is also going to be of help to a teenager running for a bus.\n
What I thought about doing is making the point we should go off and design cool things for older adults.\n
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The very foundation of our industry is THE USER. Too often these users, which are our parents, neighbours, grandparents are, by and large, being ignored.\n\nThe wrong approach would be to create a new persona for older people. That would be missing the point.\n\nThe point is that age isn’t a legitimate or useful way to group people. To do that would be to give in to the stereotypes.\n
The established practice is to create personas based on behaviours, not demographics. All I’m encouraging us to do is include older adults in our research.\n\nBy doing that we will create enhanced behavioural groupings that are truly representative of ALL of our society.\n
The established practice is to create personas based on behaviours, not demographics. All I’m encouraging us to do is include older adults in our research.\n\nBy doing that we will create enhanced behavioural groupings that are truly representative of ALL of our society.\n
The established practice is to create personas based on behaviours, not demographics. All I’m encouraging us to do is include older adults in our research.\n\nBy doing that we will create enhanced behavioural groupings that are truly representative of ALL of our society.\n
I don’t know about you, but I’ve already made a start on designing for a more inclusive world!\n\nThanks you.\n