How to Design a Web Site That is Easily Used by All Ages

To design a web site that is equally easy for the young and elderly is not quite as easy as it sounds. You could say 'well the young are adept at computers so design it for the elderly'. Herein the problem lies, the elderly are not backward, so why would that decision be good all The elderly do like to look at things without a lot of fluff and fuzz. The young, however, are more adept at using the Internet and like gadgets rather than just the facts. You need to come up with a bit of a compromise.

It would be acceptable to have lots of interesting bits and pieces about the site. The older people just want a site that is easy to navigate to find what they want. You could think of having a smallish box on the pages of the site that has links aimed totally at the younger audience. Of course, you could have a similar box with links dedicated to more elderly interests.

Pretty page designs are okay but the best compromise is to have the main content, which has to be interesting for either group, in the central part of the page. Have a clear and easy to use menu that is accessible by all browsers. Then have other things around the page. A strong consideration is to use a clear defined font or possibly to have a large font option available on your site.

The elderly tend to look for more specific information. Your site needs to have all relevant information on one page. It is okay to have supporting information as a link. Your site should not take a person over several different pages for any information. Most people will not jump from one page to another; they will simply go to another web site for the information.

Young people do not mind going over several links for a complete story. Both age groups would prefer a clear and easy to use site. The young may like the moving banners but other people might not be impressed at all by flashing or moving banners. As these types of banners take longer to load, you may as well just leave them out.

With some careful thought, you can achieve a site that is of interest to all age-groups. You just have to design an interesting layout which is clear and precise. Do not use slang terms as the elderly may have a problem in understanding them.

The basics are; all sites need to be interesting, relevant, and easy to use. You just need to put in a bit more thought when you are designing your site for multiple age groups.

Posted in: Design Tips