Improving user experience and engagement for older adults: A case study

Abstract

Our work focuses on user engagement and the impact of UI design on older users’ level of engagement when using web-based applications. For the purpose of this research we are using Chumbuggy.com, an online service which allows people over 50 to engage in small group discussions about topics that are important and interesting to them. Due to the nature of the service provided by Chumbuggy and its target audience, we needed to design its UI to meet the high level of usability required to maximize the engagement of older adults. To this end, we created an iterative and incremental process of designing and testing Chumbuggy’s UI components. This paper presents our design and testing process, our findings, and a set of guidelines for increasing the online engagement of older adults through effective UI design.