What are the things I need to consider when I design for the users that are 45-70 old?
I know a little about vision, hearing and dexterity problems, but what are other problems that some of you faced?
The scenario is: a travel website that allows users to view the destinations that we provide, sign up for newsletters and general information about travel
The only generalization I'd make about that age group is that often their eyesight declines, making the readability basics important:
These ease reading for everyone, but are more important for the sight declined. They're the obvious guidelines, not a complete list. One place for more info is the W3 Web Accessibility Initiative.
I'm not aware of particular design considerations for those aged 45+, aside from the normal usability issues that affect all of us. I am aware of lots of guidelines when designing for older people aged 65+, most of which are common sense. There was, for example, a project within W3C in conjunction with the European Commission (WAI-AGE) looking at inclusive design for older people. One of the things they looked at was making websites more accessible and usable by applying WCAG guidelines.
One thing to bear in mind is that there is actually a lot of diversity in older age groups when it comes to confidence with technology. Some older people will have been using computers and browsing the web quite happily for many years. Some will have attended classes and received training more recently than younger people!
Firstly 45 to 70 is a massive span of target audience. They may be web savvy or not so inclined towards online buying (in specific context to India).
Characteristics of a 45 something traveler is: budget is not a issue, planed trip for them is essential. Content guidelines: site has to be Content rich; location images have to be impressive, feedback of travelers and their recommendations. Interaction guidelines: commitment and actionable decisions should be aimed,page save/ plan save features, share your travel plan,compare features are suggested.
Characteristics of a 60 to 70 age group:memory can be depleating along with sight, health considerations, food considerations, travel companion considerations. Content guidelines: Details of stay, parking, availability of lift, room and locations climatic conditions, walking distances and terrain etc. Interaction guidelines:popular guidelines should be followed(least mental load),reminders and notifications, sharing and saving features, offline downloads are desirable considerations.
Good luck
Here are a few more facets to consider validating that your subset of older users isn't harmed by your UI or UX.
This really depends on the market, but our usability studies in the lab consistently show issues that Western 45+ y.o. users have with iOS standards, either adopted for web or used natively. And some of the Material Design standards. For example, they don't understand that a) or b) is a button.
Based on this, I would steer clear of the latest standards and use a bit of skeumorphism for controls to ensure my userbase understands all.
