Designing Inclusive Digital Experiences for Older Adults

Objective

To explore how low-income older adults adopt and use tablet computers and digital apps during COVID-19, and to identify design opportunities to reduce the digital divide through inclusive technology training and support.

Methods

  • Community Workshops: Conducted tablet training sessions with 28 older adults in low-income housing.
  • Longitudinal User Research: Followed 8 novice tablet users for 16 weeks with weekly interviews and usability coaching.
  • UX Research Methods: Applied semi-structured interviews, usability testing, affinity diagramming, and thematic analysis to uncover behaviors, challenges, and coping strategies.

Key Findings

  • High motivation, low confidence: Eager to adopt, but struggled with account setup, passwords, and hidden interface conventions.
  • Workarounds matter: Pen-and-paper notes were a trusted aid to bridge digital gaps.
  • Social connection first: Video calls, games, and information-seeking drove adoption more than abstract “digital literacy.”
  • Learning barriers: Weak mental models of “how a tablet works” slowed skill acquisition despite repeated training.

Impact / Application

Design Implications for UX

  • Simplify account and password creation for first-time older adult users (e.g., clearer guidance on usernames, reserving easy-to-remember options, or offering personal graphics/images/PIN/biometrics as alternatives).
  • Provide clear visual cues for hidden or tacit interactions (e.g., swiping, long-press, tapping).
  • Incorporate familiar methods (e.g., note-taking) into digital training and support flows.

Broader Impact

  • Contributed to community programs during COVID-19.
  • Advanced age-inclusive design principles for products targeting underserved populations.

Publications

Kim, S., Yao, W., & Du, X. (2022). Exploring Older Adults’ Adoption and Use of a Tablet Computer During COVID-19: Longitudinal Qualitative Study. JMIR aging, 5(1), e32957. https://aging.jmir.org/2022/1/e32957

Du, X., Yao, W., & Kim, S. (2021). Lessons Learned from Supporting Low-income Older Adults to Use a Tablet PC in the Age of Digital Divide. Adjunct Publication of the 23rd International Conference on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 1-5). https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3447527.3474860