We sometimes get asked about what colors are best when designing technology for seniors.  Answering this question is complicated.  To understand, you need to consider four different possible and sometimes competing goals: Providing contrast for shape differentiation and readability Creating or stimulating desired emotions and feelings Stimulating cognitive functions Getting seniors to like a brand or buy a product Different goals often result in contradictory color choices.  For example, color selections will be different if you are designing an instruction manual or help forum vs. a social media app for elderly people vs. an e-commerce site targeted at seniors. Equally… Continue Reading Color in Designing Technology for Seniors

The visual system serves various functions, four of which are critical in the context of designing apps for older adults: Visual acuity is the ability to see fine details of objects such as text, icons and buttons in apps for older adults. Contrast sensitivity is the ability to discriminate between different brightness levels. Color perception is the ability to distinguish between different colors in and around text, icons, buttons, etc. Usable visual field is the ability to use the whole of the visual field to perceive detail in the area being looked at and the surrounding area. In this article… Continue Reading Understanding Recommended Color Contrast