We’re young and energetic and full of dreams. We don’t back down. We push forward. We love trying everything new and shiny. And tech? We love tech - trying it, tinkering with it, using it. And tech loves us back. And we’ll continue to be this way. All. Our. Life!
Ah! What wishful thinking it is!
Let me poke that bubble…
When they were younger, our ageing parents thought so too…that they’ll forever be like that. The sad truth is that we, too, will get old just like them. We, too, will struggle with technology. Maybe even earlier than they did because have you checked the pace of tech advancement?
Talking to teens, I already feel like a dinosaur. It’s not about “digital skills” or keeping up with the tech.
Even the most tech-savvy people will eventually face declines in thinking speed, eyesight, etc., impacting their ability to use digital products.
So, now that we’re young and energetic, why don’t we include older adults in our UX writing process and make it so they can join us before we join them?
If you’re with me, let’s begin with a basic empathy map for senior adults around tech usage.
As you can see, older humans face unique challenges when it comes to technology. While UX design has its own contribution, microcopy can help guide users in a way that makes them feel comfortable and competent using the product. (just like we do)
Let’s go challenge by challenge.
Declining vision and shaky hands
If someone cannot use your product because of this, it’s a significant usability concern. So here’s how you can fix it:
Larger text and button size, or an option to magnify or text-to-speech.
It’s a common practice to mention terms & conditions in smaller font sizes and lighter colours. Either dedicate more space to a larger font size or show it as a toast.
Designate a larger area for registering clicks instead of pixel-perfect links where you have to place your cursor on the link to make something happen. In the same vein, offer flexibility to type or voice fill instead of a date selector or a drop-down menu.
Avoid link or button clusters. Seen those buttons which have a small text link below? Yes, avoid them.
Moving elements are a no-go.
If you have a video, always offer captions, an option to rewind/reply and change the playback speed.
Declining cognitive abilities → forgetfulness & difficulty comprehending
Older users actually have a wider vocabulary than us. But, because of the Stroop effect, they might have trouble bridging the gap between the words they use daily and more rare synonyms. Basically, the bigger the gap between the written word and the everyday word, the harder it is to make the connection.
Replace jargon and buzzwords with simple, everyday words.
Cab/commute → Taxi, Auto
Items → Groceries
Use specific phrases that give out more context.
Send → Send email
Next → Next question, Next page
Avoid less-frequently used phrasal verbs as they are akin to buzzwords.
Swing by our office → Visit our office
Hang in there → Please wait/Wait
Speed is a major concern. Older humans take more time to read and comprehend. Most toasts disappear by then, leaving such users feeling helpless. So, let toasts stay on the screen for longer. Better yet, keep them on screen and give the option to close (x) them. Give them control over their pace of progress!
Dislike for unfamiliar routes → Frequent product updates
As we get older, we start enjoying familiarity. We prefer to stay indoors and hang out with a handful of friends. We become less experimental, less explorative.
Similarly, older humans feel uncomfortable with a change of scenery, especially when it happens inside a digital product. Updates that change the appearance or behaviour of a product that they made an effort to memorise are unwelcome. It leaves them feeling helpless and dependent.
With updates, ship a walkthrough of new features. Not a pop-up that lists everything, but a proper walkthrough of what’s changed and the new ways of getting tasks done.
Add tooltips and keep them active until the user has been on that page at least 5 times.
Offer breadcrumbs in the navigation so they can refer to their journey and feel more confident.
Taking mistakes personally
When encountering an error, we might shrug it off and quickly move on, but older humans might take a bit more time to fix the issue. And even if they know a certain action leads to a dead-end, they might repeat it the next time.
Prevent errors before happening.
Older humans get thwarted by simple query typos and error messages. Most error messages don’t give context on what happened and how to fix it. Sometimes the phrasing is obscure, or the message’s placement is overlooked. Being sent back to the home page without knowing what went wrong is frustrating. It makes them feel helpless and could even cause them to give up and think, "this isn't for me".
Whenever writing error texts, always explain what just happened. Be specific. Having imagery helps. Keep your language straightforward and apologetic. Then suggest a way out — would the team get back to the user? Is the team already on it? What should the user do to complete the task? Give full context so that older humans don’t feel anxious that they broke something.
Don’t punish them for entering hyphens or parentheses in telephone or credit card numbers. Design a more forgiving UX.
Don't forget to validate after each field to boost their confidence when writing for forms.
Alert the user if there's a problem with an explanatory text. Don’t wait for them to fill the entire thing; show red fields only when they hit submit.
To prevent errors in forms, give as much preliminary information as possible on how to fill in fields and what data is needed.
Now, let’s add delight to the mix!
While we all want some degree of control over our lives, older humans feel that need more than others. In technology, offering them control over their progress pace can help boost their sense of independence and trust around your product.
Instead of overwhelming them with long walls of text or form fields, offer progressive disclosure. Presenting one topic at a time allows users to focus on what's in front of them without feeling bombarded. And for writers, it's a chance to provide more information and explain things in a clear, easy-to-understand way. Don’t forget to save their real-time progress, so they don’t have to deal with the frustration of redoing it.
Older adults may need extra help using your product, so consider offering additional resources such as a user manual or FAQs. Here's an example of how these guidelines can be put into practice. Let's say you're designing a mobile app that helps people find restaurants. Here's what a more contextual microcopy might look like:
Use clear, simple language: "Find restaurants near you"
Provide plenty of context: "Enter your location to see restaurants nearby"
Use icons and images carefully: A simple, recognizable icon of a fork and knife
Offer additional help: "Need help? Check out our FAQs"
Acknowledgement and validation at the right time can go a long way in creating a positive user experience. It makes users feel heard and competent. It’s also the first principle of usability!
Fake news and reports of internet fraud involving older humans are frequent enough to make them suspicious. So, when asking for personal information, mention why you need it and how the information would be used. Is it essential to complete the task at hand? Will it be erased from the database after 30 days? Would you be sending tips and offers later? Mention all that.
Internet connections and devices have gotten faster, but older humans often use dial-up, slow Wi-Fi and cheaper devices. While fast response time is important for all of us, it’s crucial for older humans as they’re more likely to forget stuff if things take too long to load.
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Making all this happen
It’s possible that your heart is in the right place, and you want your product to be more accessible for older humans. But your team doesn’t agree, or maybe you don’t know how to begin.
Build a business case for accessibility
Nielsen-Norman Group conducted several surveys to understand how including the ageing population in your UX journey can benefit your existing (younger) user base and your business’s bottom line.
As per the research, redesigning a website to give older humans the same user experience quality as younger users could fetch about 35% more business!!
Read the results of this study and also share them with your team. Then, you can conduct independent research on your product, focusing on its senior users.
Include older humans in the process
Yes, return to the first principle of UX — the users.
Let's face it, not many product teams have people over 65. And when we talk about diversity, we often forget about age diversity. But to ensure our older users understand what we wrote, we need to get them involved.
Before writing, make sure they're part of the UX research and content strategy. Then, while writing, ask for their feedback and share your thoughts. And after writing, have them take part in usability testing.
Use Google Trends
This is a general recommendation, but use it to find words and phrases that have been used for decades. Older humans would have probably heard of and used them. However, don’t take that as final. Pay close attention to how your senior users react to them during usability testing. Drop or change those words if need be.
Over to you
It might seem like you’ll have to design an entirely new user flow to cater to older humans, but that’s not the case. Instead, you can take it step-by-step. Plus, designing and writing to address their challenges will also help people like us. Younger folks, too, face cognitive challenges like fat fingers, ordering stuff in shaky commutes, colour blindness, limited tech literacy, spotty connections, brain fogs or getting a menty b from teen slangs!
Taking leave for now,
Mansi
Your UX Writing Bud
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