It is incredibly important as a web designer to realize that the fastest growing population of internet users are people over 60 years old. This means that web sites need to be friendly to this population. There are a number of ways to address usability for this population, and it’s just good design practice.
Font Matters
Issues with eyesight make some fonts difficult to read. Paying attention to the type, size, and properties of a font is essential in creating a user-friendly online experience.
Try using a san serif font such as Arial, Verdana, or Helvetica with a minimum size of 12 pt. Avoid light fonts, using medium or bold eight fonts. Consistent spacing is important as well, so try using left justification. Adding a font sizer can really help, because it allows users to increase font size without zooming in on the entire site.
Site of Many Colors
Best practice for design is to use a dark font on a light background for greater readability. Use a slightly off white against a slightly off black can soften contrast, which can increase readability as well. The trick is to create enough contrast without creating too much contrast. Clear readability is essential for elderly-friendly sites.
Ooh, Look at That
Images are a great way to bring visual interest to the page. Make sure images of a moderate size and are clear. Small, fuzzy images are difficult for anyone to see. If you use thumbnails, make sure that the image is large enough to see distinctive details or else the thumbnail isn’t useful and can just be frustrating for your elderly users.
Keep it Simple
When designing the layout of a site, is important to make sure the layout is clean and simple to make it as usable as possible. Usability is increased with ample white space, consistent navigation, consistent fonts and consistent color schemes throughout the site. It is also important to minimize the amount of movement on a page by avoiding Flash and animation.
If you approach the design of your site with these simple steps in mind, not only will you create a good-looking, usable site for the elderly, but an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly site for everyone.
Related Posts
