Every day, older Australians are increasing and diversifying their usage of technology. In fact, GCMA’s April 2020 study, entitled ‘Finding A Silver Lining’ (conducted via an online survey of 1,359 Australian adults aged 18 and over) identified that more than 20 per cent of older Australians turned to a new technology for the first time compelled by the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These findings chimed with the conclusions of a significant Ericsson ConsumerLab study, examining the data of 200 million users aged between 65 and 74. Increasing numbers of citizens are taking to e-commerce, telehealth, and social networking platforms to shop, engage with healthcare services, and remain connected with their loved ones and community.
The Case for Co-Design
According to the United Nations (UN), accessible digital technologies tailored to the needs of older citizens are essential to promoting a ‘Healthy Ageing’ culture, in which older people are fully included in the digital economy. Yet, many products and services that purport to serve older consumers are still failing to get the basics right. Per the UN, involvement of end user representatives is critical to the development of truly accessible, inclusive digital channels and platforms. For their myriad benefits, new products and technologies often present a steep learning curve.
That curve can be especially pronounced for older users, who may not have the existing mental models – based on previous versions of similar technology – to aid their understanding and adaption (Charness, 2022). Older users can also face additional barriers to access, such as cost and disability.
GCMA Board Member, Dr John Beard, believes many older people do not perceive new technologies as useful, relevant, or beneficial to their lives, because they are regularly excluded from the design and development phases.
“The Living Lab model,” argues Dr Beard, “provides a way to engage with older people and co-design products to ensure they are relevant”.
Engaging older users, via participatory co-design, helps to draw out valuable insights that can inform the content, tone, and interface design of digital products. End user research can illuminate how natural declines in vision, hearing, or manual dexterity (e.g., the effects of ageing on hand function) might impact on an elder’s experience.
Design choices that frustrate younger users, such as tiny type or inadequate colour contrast, can present insurmountable barriers to access for older users.
There is also a strong correlation between literacy skills and digital fluency. OECD figures, dating to 2012, estimate that 40 to 50 per cent of Australian adults read at a low level of literacy. Older Australians, aged 50-plus, are more likely than not to read at a primary school level.
A Diverse Demographic
Despite their commonalities, the 65-plus age group represents a diverse market segment. Creating digital experiences and interventions at scale, tailored to senior users, means accounting for differing expectations, motivations, and life experiences.
This is especially true of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. Learn more about GCMA’s recent investigation into Creating Inclusive Narratives, conducted on behalf of iLA,
via this case study.
iLA LiveUp Digital Suite
Since December 2021, GCMA has partnered with iLA, a for-purpose organisation, on a Commonwealth-funded project to provide research analysis and insights that inform design improvements to iLA’s digital suite, called LiveUp.
LiveUp is a new, free nationwide digital-first healthy ageing guide, designed to give older Australians opportunities to make informed choices, maintain independence, and enhance their quality of life.
To ensure that LiveUp reflects a diversity of cultural contexts and norms, meeting the needs of CALD older Australians, GCMA has conducted useability testing with 100 CALD older adults.
CALD community organisation leaders representing ethnic and multicultural groups across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia were also invited to participate in roundtable discussion and knowledge translation workshops online and at the GCMA LifeLab® to discuss practical strategies for digital inclusion and website useability.
iLA Growth and Innovation Manager, Kristy Harper, says this bespoke research will inform future iterations of LiveUp.
“We will continue working with the CALD community on LiveUp, to ensure the improvements and innovations gathered during this co-design process are implemented. We are working towards our goal of developing a digital healthy ageing guide that is inclusive and promotes social cohesion,” says Ms. Harper.
Dr Jo Anne Dumalaon-Canaria, GCMA User Experience Researcher, says working with iLA on ‘Creating Inclusive Narratives’ alongside CALD older adults and leaders was exceptionally meaningful.
“As a member of the Australian CALD community, I am so proud that our older CALD citizens are part of the development of LiveUp”, says Dr Dumalaon-Canaria.
