Designing for older adults : principles and creative human factors approaches

302 Pages·2009·4.743 MB·English

by  Arthur D. Fisk, Wendy A. Rogers, Neil Charness, Sara J. Czaja, Joseph Sharit

Designing for
Older Adults
Principles and
Creative Human Factors
Approaches
Second Edition
80555_C000.indd 1 2/25/09 12:38:29 PM
H u m a n F a c t o r s & A g i n g S e r i e s
Series Editors
Wendy A. Rogers and Arthur D. Fisk
School of Psychology
Georgia Institute of Technology – Atlanta, Georgia
Published Titles
Designing for Older Adults: Principles and Creative Human Factors Approaches,
Second Edition
Arthur D. Fisk, Wendy A. Rogers, Neil Charness, Sara J. Czaja, and Joseph Sharit
Forthcoming Titles
Designing Displays for Older Adults
Richard Pak and Anne Collins McLaughlin
80555_C000.indd 2 2/25/09 12:38:29 PM
Designing for
Older Adults
Principles and
Creative Human Factors
Approaches
Second Edition
Arthur D. Fisk
Wendy A. Rogers
Neil Charness
Sara J. Czaja
Joseph Sharit
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
80555_C000.indd 3 2/25/09 12:38:29 PM
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4200-8055-1 (Hardcover)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable
efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher can-
not assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The
authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced
in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not
been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so
we may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced,
transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copy-
right.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222
Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that pro-
vides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a
photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Designing for older adults : principles and creative human factors approaches /
Arthur D. Fisk ... [et al.]. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm. -- (Human factors & aging series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4200-8055-1 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Human engineering. 2. Older people. I. Fisk, Arthur D. II. Title. III. Series.
TA166.D485 2009
620.8’2--dc22 2009003837
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
80555_C000.indd 4 2/25/09 12:38:30 PM
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Dedication
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
We dedicate this book to:
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4200-8055-1 (Hardcover)
The older adults who have inspired us — our parents
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable
efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher can- and grandparents
not assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The
authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced
in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not The participants in our research studies whose invaluable
been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so efforts have helped us to develop these guidelines
we may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced,
transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copy-
right.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222
Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that pro-
vides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a
photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Designing for older adults : principles and creative human factors approaches /
Arthur D. Fisk ... [et al.]. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm. -- (Human factors & aging series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4200-8055-1 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Human engineering. 2. Older people. I. Fisk, Arthur D. II. Title. III. Series.
TA166.D485 2009
620.8’2--dc22 2009003837
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
80555_C000.indd 5 2/25/09 12:38:30 PM
80555_C000.indd 6 2/25/09 12:38:30 PM
Contents
Preface to the Second Edition .........................................................................xv
Preface to the First Edition ...........................................................................xvii
About the Authors ..........................................................................................xix
Author Contact Information ..........................................................................xxi
Section 1 Fundamentals
Chapter 1 Toward Better Design for Older Adults .................................3
1.1 Demographics ............................................................................................3
1.2 What Products Do Older Adults Use? ...................................................5
1.3 Is Good Design Worth the Effort? ...........................................................7
1.4 How Do We Define “Older Adult”? .......................................................8
1.5 Toward Better Design ...............................................................................9
1.6 General Guidelines, Specific Questions .................................................9
1.7 Overview of the Book .............................................................................10
Recommended Reading ..................................................................................12
Chapter 2 Characteristics of Older Adult Users ....................................13
2.1 What Are the Underpinnings of Human Factors? .............................13
2.2 What Human Characteristics Should Be Considered? ......................14
2.3 Aging and the Sensory Modalities .......................................................15
2.3.1 Taste and Smell ..........................................................................15
2.3.2 Haptics ........................................................................................16
2.3.3 Audition ......................................................................................17
2.3.4 Vision ...........................................................................................17
2.4 Cognition ..................................................................................................18
2.4.1 Memory .......................................................................................20
2.4.2 Attention .....................................................................................22
2.4.3 Spatial Cognition .......................................................................23
2.4.4 Understanding Written and Spoken Language ....................23
2.5 Control of Movements and Movement Speed ....................................24
2.6 Summary of Review ...............................................................................24
2.7 Guidance for Design ...............................................................................26
Recommended Reading ..................................................................................27
80555_C000.indd 7 2/25/09 12:38:30 PM
Chapter 3 Guiding the Design Process ...................................................29
3.1 Principles of Design ................................................................................29
3.2 Universal Design .....................................................................................30
3.3 What Makes a Product Usable? ............................................................31
3.4 Measuring Usability Components ........................................................32
3.5 User-Centered Design (UCD) ................................................................33
3.5.1 Task Analysis ..............................................................................33
3.5.2 Usability Testing ........................................................................35
3.5.2.1 Two Perspectives to Usability Testing ...................35
3.5.2.2 Usability Test Plan ....................................................36
3.5.2.3 Think-Aloud Verbal Protocols ................................37
3.5.2.4 Equipment .................................................................38
3.5.2.5 Participants ................................................................38
3.5.2.6 Pilot Testing and Training ........................................39
3.5.3 Field Observations .....................................................................40
3.5.4 Interviews ...................................................................................41
3.5.5 Questionnaires ...........................................................................41
3.5.6 Focus Groups ..............................................................................42
3.6 Design Methods That Do Not Involve the User .................................42
3.6.1 Checklists and Guidelines ........................................................43
3.6.2 Heuristic Evaluation ..................................................................43
3.6.3 Layout Analysis .........................................................................43
3.7 The Product Design Lifecycle ................................................................44
3.8 Conclusion ...............................................................................................45
Recommended Reading ..................................................................................45
Section 2 Design Guidelines
Chapter 4 Improving Perception of Information ..................................49
4.1 Visual Perception.....................................................................................49
4.1.1 Text Characteristics ....................................................................51
4.1.2 Icons versus Text ........................................................................51
4.1.3 Additional Factors to Consider ................................................52
4.2 Guidelines for Visual Presentation of Information ............................52
4.2.1 General Lighting Guidelines ....................................................52
4.2.2 Text ...............................................................................................53
4.2.3 Use of Three-Dimensional Displays .......................................54
4.3 Issues in Aging and Auditory Perception ...........................................54
4.3.1 Thresholds for Sounds ..............................................................55
4.3.2 Speech Perception ......................................................................55
4.3.3 Localization ................................................................................56
4.4 Guidelines for Auditory Presentation of Information .......................57
4.4.1 Sound ...........................................................................................57
4.4.2 Speech ..........................................................................................57
80555_C000.indd 8 2/25/09 12:38:30 PM
4.5 Issues in Haptics ......................................................................................58
4.5.1 Overview of Haptics .................................................................58
4.5.2 Vibration Perception ..................................................................58
4.6 Guidelines for Haptic Presentation of Information ...........................59
4.7 Using These Guidelines for Optimizing
Perception of Information ..................................................................59
Recommended Reading ..................................................................................60
Chapter 5 Design of Input and Output Devices ....................................61
5.1 Issues in Aging and the Design
of Input Devices ..................................................................................62
5.1.1 Minimizing Steps .......................................................................62
5.1.2 Consistency .................................................................................64
5.2 Types of Input Devices ...........................................................................65
5.3 Guidelines for the Design of Input Devices ........................................68
5.4 Issues in Aging and the Design of Output Devices ...........................70
5.5 Guidelines for the Design of Output Devices .....................................70
5.6 Using These Guidelines for Effective Design of Input
and Output Devices ............................................................................71
Recommended Reading ..................................................................................72
Chapter 6 Interface Design ........................................................................73
6.1 Interface Design Issues ...........................................................................73
6.2 Issues in Aging and Interface Design ...................................................75
6.2.1 Do Older Adults Use Computer Technologies? ....................75
6.2.2 Multiple Levels of User Abilities .............................................77
6.2.3 User Goals and Expectations ...................................................77
6.2.4 Information Organization.........................................................78
6.2.5 Getting Lost in the System and Navigation Tools ................80
6.2.6 Depth versus Breadth ................................................................80
6.2.7 Compatibility .............................................................................82
6.2.8 Documentation and Error Recovery .......................................83
6.3 Guidelines for Effective Interface Design ............................................85
6.3.1 Physical Characteristics ............................................................85
6.3.2 Navigation ..................................................................................86
6.3.3 Information Organization.........................................................86
6.3.4 Conceptual ..................................................................................86
6.4 Using These Guidelines to Facilitate Proper
Interface Design ..................................................................................87
Recommended Reading ..................................................................................88
Chapter 7 Design of Training and Instructional Programs ................89
7.1 Principles of Instruction .........................................................................90
7.2 An Integrated Approach to Instructional
Design for Complex Tasks .................................................................92
80555_C000.indd 9 2/25/09 12:38:30 PM