An investigation of ways to support older adults when using mobile interfaces

In this paper, we describe a study designed to examine the effects of modality, target size and other design features on task performance. The study has specifically focused on older adults when accessing a mobile interface. Twelve participants (aged 55-89) conducted a set of pointing and steering tasks. Targets 32px in size were found to be most effective to support pointing performance, while targets 64px in size assisted older adults when performing steering tasks. Shorter lasting steering tasks (6 seconds) were performed with lower levels of error compared with 12 second tasks. Guidance from the study offers a reference point for mobile developers interested in designing touch screen interfaces to cater to the needs of older adults