Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design professionals. We work with a variety of companies across Manchester, and the North West, including those in Blackburn and Chorley, to provide high quality web design solutions. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything you should know about effective web design for the over 70’s.
Accessibility and web design for seniors
The UK, and much of the Western World, has an ageing population. For companies and businesses online, this means that your website needs to be accessible and easy to use for people of all ages. This includes seniors. However, the most important thing to consider is that age is just a number, and all people will age differently, and have different levels of web savvy, regardless of age. This means that when producing a website aimed at the older population, it can be more beneficial to consider the common problems associated with web design, that can become a barrier for senior accessibility. When it comes to tech, people of all ages can struggle with particular barriers. And the same can be said for seniors. While some people over 70 are comfortable ordering and shopping online, others can be overwhelmed. As a result, you should forget about age, and instead consider the aspects of accessibility that can be necessary for senior design. This can include specific requirements for:
- visual clarity
- hearing and sound
- movement and fine motor control
What are the important tips for effective UX web design for seniors?
So what should you bear in mind when designing for an ageing population? Well, there are several things to consider include:
- Simple navigation options- presenting your website users with too many options all at once is a bad move regardless of the age of the target audience, but when it comes to designing for an older audience, this is definitely something to avoid. Keep your navigation simple and well categorized so it is easy to understand and your website users will not become flustered or overwhelmed.
- Professional imagery- eyesight issues are a common occurrence for the older population. Choosing images that are clear and well sized for the screen is an absolute necessity. Unprofessional images including those that are blurry or ‘busy’ can be very off putting for the older generation.
- Clear visual design- A clear path to one single call to action button per screen is the most effective option for web design with an older audience. This is because it keeps the web design itself smooth, consistent and simple, so that your older audience can find what they need, quickly and easily.
- Typography styles and choices- along with the imagery, the typography also needs to be clear and easy to decipher, on all screen sizes. This may mean making letters slightly larger, and increasing the space around typography and text sections to make sure these are easy to read.
For more information or advice, or for high quality, professional web design solutions, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.