Why Age-Inclusive Design Matters

Roughly one in eight people worldwide is over 60, and this demographic is not just growing — it is the fastest-growing age group and is projected to reach 2 billion (20% of the global population) by 2050. Older adults are also the fastest-growing category of e-commerce shoppers, and they adopt technology at increasing rates: smartphone ownership among the 50+ population in the United States rose from 70% to 77% between 2017 and 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic further accelerated their motivation to use digital services.

Yet many older people still lack sufficient internet connectivity or the digital skills needed to use devices and services effectively. An estimated two in five feel technology is not designed for them. This matters because essential aspects of modern life — communication, banking, healthcare, shopping, and civic participation — increasingly happen on digital platforms. When those platforms are difficult to use, they directly harm the quality of life of older users and exclude them from full participation in society.

The inclusive design approach addresses this by considering the needs of as many users as possible without stigmatizing or excluding any specific group. In practice, a service that works well for people aged 65+ will almost always serve younger audiences effectively too.

Reducing Cognitive Load and Required Actions

Aging can bring a decline in the speed of information processing, the ability to ignore distractions, and the capacity to perform several complex actions simultaneously. Executive functions that enable planning and delayed reactions may also weaken, leading to accidental clicks, closed pages, or errors. However, the ability to learn from feedback does not diminish with age, so well-designed affirmations remain an effective tool.

To avoid information overload and multiple options overwhelming users, information architecture and hierarchy should make important actions immediately visible. Key practices include:

  • White space: Reducing the number of elements on a screen and increasing spacing between them makes the interface feel less crowded and more inviting, which improves the user's sense of competence and focus. Clear typography following an established scale helps in websites, apps, and complex data systems.
  • Dialog boxes: A limited number of options prevents cognitive overload. Carefully map the platform and distill it to the most important actions and content.
  • Central placement: The most important themes should sit at the center of the screen.
  • Large and spacious: Key buttons should be enlarged and positioned prominently for immediate recognition.
  • Clear language: Labels should be plain, verified through usability testing, and free of complicated terms unfamiliar to the audience.
  • Limited number of actions: Minimize the clicks and scrolls needed to reach a goal.
  • Shortcuts and redundant paths: Offer multiple routes to a destination, such as quick links, so users can choose what suits them.

Supporting Navigation and Orientation

Many people over 65 experience a decline in memory recall or are unfamiliar with digital conventions. Navigation should therefore rely on recognition rather than memory, allow easy reversal of actions, use clear navigation keys, and remain consistent in both design and operation.

  • Recognition, not memory: Design interfaces that ask users to identify familiar components — such as quick access to previously visited pages — rather than recall information. Color can also help users recognize how to re-orient themselves when returning to a site.
  • Indicators and feedback: Use breadcrumbs to show where the user has been and where they are now. Provide a conspicuous, permanent back icon in addition to the browser's default controls. Navigation buttons should be emphasized with explanatory text.
  • Consistency: Recurring items create an ongoing experience that lets users learn the interface, generating a sense of success and anticipation. Keep the location and design of fixed-function buttons stable.
  • Progress: Clear hints such as progress bars help users understand where they are in a multi-step process.
  • Success and mistakes: Highlight successful actions, and clearly indicate errors while offering an easy recovery path.
  • Contact Us: Place help options prominently and provide multiple channels, including telephone and email.

Making the Interface Easy to Operate

Motor changes with age can make it harder to touch a precise spot, regulate click intensity, or perform quick actions like double-clicking. Design should therefore space out interactive elements, avoid requiring fine precision, eliminate gestures that need precise sensory regulation, and let users move at their own pace.

  • Large and spacious elements: Design interface components with generous size and spacing.
  • Individual pace: For pop-up and toast messages, let users close them or keep them visible longer for slower readers. Avoid hover-triggered menus; always use click-tap menus.
  • Clear scroll indicators: Provide visible cues like side arrows to reduce the need for precise scrolling gestures.
  • Responsive across screens: For touch screens, avoid depending on touch intensity or precision. Minimize long strokes and drag gestures and reduce scroll options; if they must exist, offer alternative arrows or buttons. Keep touch targets at a minimum of 44×44 px and avoid gestures such as spread, pinch, and rotate that require fine motor control.

Applying these criteria to real sites reveals clear differences. Aliexpress suffers from visual overload: too many emphasized buttons and tags make it difficult for an older user to focus, the side menu is easy to ignore, and reliance on the search bar forces recall instead of recognition. Amazon's category image sizes can distract, requiring excessive scrolling and straining navigation. By contrast, eBay handles visual overload better — the dominance of its search bar and the placement of its menu make it comparatively easier for older users to navigate.

Designing for the Users We Will Become

Most designers would agree that inclusivity and ease of use are core goals for any digital product. Yet, as the examples throughout this article demonstrate, building truly accessible interfaces requires a deliberate awareness of the challenges faced by older adults. The reality is that everyone ages, and with age come longer reaction times, shifts in selective attention, greater difficulty dividing attention between tasks, and changes in motor control.

By designing with an older audience in mind, we are effectively designing for our future selves. The practical outcome is an interface that is easier to operate and navigate for everyone. To achieve that, the following considerations should be at the core of the design process:

  • Use large objects with sufficient spacing between them.
  • Ensure operations do not require fine gestures or high precision.
  • Minimize the number of steps required to accomplish a goal.
  • Give the user control over the pace of progress.
  • Provide reassuring notifications confirming successful actions.
  • Maintain consistency in design and operation throughout the product.
  • Reduce the number of choices the user has to make at any given point.
  • Make performed actions clearly visible and highlighted.

This article is adapted from a chapter of the Log In guide, created as part of the National Initiative to Promote Digital Literacy Among Older Adults, a partnership between the Israel National Digital Agency and JDC-ESHEL.