Your Mom Has an iPad

Your Mom Has an iPad
Designing for Boomers

Monday, March 21, 2011

John McRee
Lead User Experience Architect
E ectiveUI
@johnmcree

© 2011 EffectiveUI, Inc.


My mom doesn’t
have an iPad :(



My big mouth



Back in the day when...



Boomers ! technology



That sure is a clean kitchen!



Wrong!



Uh....



Worldwide game console sales

46% Wii: $85 million
Xbox: $50 million
PS3: $48 million

27%
26%



US game console sales

49% Wii: $30 million
Xbox: $19 million
PS3: $12 million

19% 31%



Boomers comprise more than
a third of the online
population.

-Forrester Research



Self-perception of savvy

100% 4%
6% 6% Newbies
7% Intermediates
80% 19% Net Vets
21% Super Net Vets

60%

40%
71% 66%

20%

0%
Boomers Non-Boomers
-Jupiter Research



Social networking

47% of internet users
47% ages 50-54 are using
social networking sites.

26%
26% of internet users
aged 65+ are using
social networking sites.

-Flowtown.com



Percentage using social networking by age
100
18-29
30-49
50-64
80 83
86 65+
76
73
67
60
61
58

48 47
40

36 36

20 25 25 26
22
16 16
12 13
11
7 7
0 5 4
09/05 05/05 11/08 04/09 12/09 05/10

-Flowtown.com



% growth of adults who update their status 2009-2010

100%
88%

33%
27%
13%
All adults 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
-Flowtown.com



There’s $ in this



Boomers spend the
MOST
on tech

-AdAge.com



Close to 80 million Americans
controlling 50 percent of the
country’s discretionary
spending.

-Forrester Research



Boomer women spend
more money in all channels
than women from all other
generations.

-Forrester Research



Outspent younger adults by
$1 trillion in 2010

-Forrester Research



So, who are Boomers anyway?



The oldest members of the
Baby Boom generation turn 65
this year.



Too young to have any personal memory of World
War II, but old enough to remember the postwar
American High.

-Strauss and Howe



79 million Baby Boomers
26% of the population

-US Census Bureau



How to design for Boomers?



Don’t



Design for goals and
behaviors, aptitude and
attitude,
not generation



There are patterns to
consider...



Boomers and Technology
An Extended Conversation

Boomers...
• Like to learn new technologies and share their knowledge
• Want technology to be safer
• Want technology to be easier to use
• See technology as a tool
• Expect technology to adapt to them



Boomers like to learn new
technologies and share their
knowledge.



Like to learn new technologies and share their knowledge

The Kickass Curve -http://headrush.typepad.com/

“I’m kicking ass!”
Passion Threshold
Ability

d

d
o

Ba
Go

“I don’t suck.”
Suck Threshold

Time



Like to learn new technologies and share their knowledge

Obvious and e cient



Boomers want technology to
be safer.



Want technology to be safer

Feedback

Vs. ...




Feedback

Vs. ...

Vs.
Submit Only press Submit once.




Retraceable steps

Pagination
! " # $ % & '

()*+,-./ ! &&& " # $ % &&& "' 0*12

Breadcrumbs
%&'()*#(+#*#(, !"#$ !"#$ !"#$ !"#$




Strong visual design



Boomers want technology to
be easier to use.



Want technology to be easier to use

Consistent navigation and behavior
!"#$%&'( )$%&'( !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'(

!"#$%&'( !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'(

'(%)
)#*+'&,"
!"#$%&
-+'&," !"#$%&'"(
!"#$%&
)#*+'&," !"#$%&'"(
!"#$%&
)#*+'&," !"#$%&'"(
'(%)
)#*+'&,"
'(%)

!"#$%&

!"#$%&

!"#$%&

!"#$%&

'(%)

'(%)




Consistent nomenclature

!"#$%& ./01,2

'( 3/14

)* 5"%&

+,- 67%&




Choose your horse



Boomers see technology
as a tool.



Boomers expect technology
to adapt to them.



Expect technology to adapt to them

Augmented reality...



Expect technology to adapt to them

Has to be useful



Accessibility



Accessibility

Workforce with signi cant disability: 18-65

20%

-US Census Bureau



Accessibility

Workforce with signi cant disability: Nearing Retirement

42%

-US Census Bureau



Accessibility

Workforce bene ting from accessibility tech

60%

-Forrester Research



“Disability” is a HUGE turn-o



Accessibility

Limit on-click events

!"##$%&'(%) !"



Accessibility

External labels on forms

Do this:
!"#$ %#"&'

Not this:

!"#$ %#"&'



Accessibility

Meaningful links

!"#$"% !"#$"%
&'%"()*+,-()$'.'%),*/)#("/0)1'2,"1/"/-%)#$*+*,*1*23) &'%"()*+,-()$'.'%),*/)#("/0)1'2,"1/"/-%)#$*+*,*1*23)
".*/0),"$)$')"*-,('$)/"(+'%)*21*$*$-2/)-/).#4'%")"/) ".*/0),"$)$')"*-,('$)/"(+'%)*21*$*$-2/)-/).#4'%")"/)
$'.'%")(#32#)#.*5-#6)7/)"2*()#$)(*2*()8"2*#(0)5-*,) $'.'%")(#32#)#.*5-#6)7/)"2*()#$)(*2*()8"2*#(0)5-*,)
2',/%-$)"9"%1*/#/*'2)-..#(1').#4'%*,6 2',/%-$)"9"%1*/#/*'2)-..#(1').#4'%*,6
!"#$%&'($" !"#$%&'($"

!"#$"% !"#$"%
&'%"()*+,-()$'.'%),*/)#("/0)1'2,"1/"/-%)#$*+*,*1*23) &'%"()*+,-()$'.'%),*/)#("/0)1'2,"1/"/-%)#$*+*,*1*23)
".*/0),"$)$')"*-,('$)/"(+'%)*21*$*$-2/)-/).#4'%")"/) ".*/0),"$)$')"*-,('$)/"(+'%)*21*$*$-2/)-/).#4'%")"/)
$'.'%")(#32#)#.*5-#6)7/)"2*()#$)(*2*()8"2*#(0)5-*,) $'.'%")(#32#)#.*5-#6)7/)"2*()#$)(*2*()8"2*#(0)5-*,)
2',/%-$)"9"%1*/#/*'2)-..#(1').#4'%*,6 2',/%-$)"9"%1*/#/*'2)-..#(1').#4'%*,6
!"#$%&'($" !"#$%&'($"



Accessibility

Watch contrast

!"#$%&'()$



Boomers want to learn and
share safe, easy to use
technology...



...as long as they see it as
a tool that’s that will
enhance their life.



Your Mom Has an iPad

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