Design Thinking for the Ages
Inclusive tech for the young to the old
Consider all the technology lifetimes that occur within the lifetime of one human. Currently we're hearing a lot about AI, and next year, spatial computing may be the talk of the town. Some even argue that Moore’s Law, regarding computing power doubling every 18 months, is dead or outdated. After all, the rate of progress we’re seeing now seems much faster.
All this adds up to an interesting effect on humans: When Gen Alpha, born 2010-2024, grows up and moves into the workplace, they will have already aged out of their earliest technology at a faster rate than any generation before. If we don’t build tech with this generation in mind, Gen Alpha may grow up with an aversion to tech. Meanwhile, Boomers and older generations are often faced with hazardous and isolating tech experiences, particularly if we’ve created a pattern of (dis)connected technologies that diminish trust.
Recently, our team gathered for another ethics and equity discussion to discuss the rising, but understudied, problem of ageism in technology. As futurists, we recognized that the rapid rate of technological advancement is likely to challenge our ability to connect with each other, especially across generations, and we aimed to understand how user experiences could be improved.
Let’s look at a few considerations that technology builders should keep in mind:
Understand the dynamics
Age encompasses the biological, social, and psychological changes that occur as individuals grow and mature. Increasingly, these changes of our natural aging process are being compounded by the rapidly increasing pace of technology progress, which can lead to digital literacy gaps and accessibility challenges. Moreover, the dynamics of age are not fixed, as humans can experience age both locally (as it relates to their own maturation) and broadly as a member of society. We need to take these challenges and dynamics into account by understanding how each generation adopts technology over time and building specific features accordingly.
For example, Gen Z was born and raised in an already technological world, where their tech experiences were defined by the work of Millennials and Gen Xers. Gen Z has since responded through adopting their own unique usage patterns (e.g., short-form videos, virtual worlds) and have now assumed part of the responsibility in assessing how the next generation are using current offerings, as well as the opportunity to upskill their elders, whether it be their relatives or their colleagues.
Another key consideration: the progress of longevity tech is increasing lifespans and quality of life, which means we must extend the range of achieving representation: Today’s 100 is not the same as tomorrow’s 100.
Get specific
Social cohorts, or generations, help us understand and connect to others’ experiences in a broad way, but there’s further value in understanding the traits and characteristics of groups on a more granular level. Generations have traditionally been loosely grouped across 20-year spans but are seemingly trending toward a more concise span of 15 years. And we are now seeing the emergence of subgroups or “micro-generations” to allow us to more closely align to the traits that resonate on an individual level, or in some cases, toward generational cross-over (e.g., zillenials, xennials).
Anticipating user behaviors along these smaller cohorts means design can extend across both chronological age and the more nuanced social age. The latter offers a deeper understanding of expectations around how one interacts with others and their environment, which means we can glean a more attuned analysis of users’ tech familiarity and engagement.
Build with design in mind
The 7 universal principles of design were initially developed around inclusivity within architecture, but they can be applied to foster equality across a number of dimensions.
The principles dictate that emerging technologies should be:
1. Equitable
2. Flexible
3. Intuitive
4. Perceivable
5. Error-tolerant
6. Low-effort
7. Accommodating
Applying these principles can lead to a few actionable steps in the effort toward age inclusivity:
- Invite representation of all ages in usage tests, ensure you are designing with them, and notice unique challenges/ apprehensions. Whatever problems people are experiencing today, if left unattended, may be exacerbated tomorrow.
- Build and foster communities of users from all ages to create an environment of support, where people can learn from each other
- Provide resourcing, such as toolbars and tips, for supplemental guidance. Keep an open feedback loop for input and engagement, as to not lock anyone out.
- When moving fast on technologies that have rapid rates of adoption, such as AI, be extra careful to ensure that the back-end development (e.g., data pipelines, coding) is informed about the dynamic needs of different ages
- Include preventive measures and touch-point inspections to help ensure systems remain functional, safe, and efficient across ages
Looking forward
As we continue to recognize the need for flexibility and responsive attitudes toward age in the design process, let’s consider shifting from interpreting age as a fixed definition of an individual, and instead begin seeing the fluidity of experiences and changes over time.
Currently, “compassionate ageism” is rampant in technology, which assumes that elders cannot understand emerging tech (even though many are perfectly tech savvy), or that wellness for elders can be reduced to measures of heart rate and blood sugar instead of holistic indicators like leisure time and joy.
Still, a few forward-thinking designers are taking a different approach, like those developing social robots for older adults. We’ll need more ideas like that to truly create upward mobility with tech. For that, technology builders, thinkers, and tinkerers need to equate aging with a need for agility: adapting technology development to meet the needs of different generations over time. When we do so, tech familiarity amongst all ages will likely outweigh fragility.
- Heidi Morrow, NExT Futurist and Designer