Smartphones Interface Design Problems For Older Adults: Interaction and visual Design Recommendations

Introduction:

Mobile phone is a small moveable radio telephone that is used for wireless communication over long distance. Mobile phone make a call by communicating with nearby base station. Base station check phone against network and roam between different cells, but can communicate with only one cell at a time. So once connection is established between cells, cell phone make a call. Now a day most of mobile phones are touchscreen smartphones that perform the functions like email, internet browsing, playing games similar to the computer. Therefore, “mobile phones basically are small computers”.

Smartphone examples includes apple’s IPhone and SamSung,'s Galaxy Series telephone call services”. The result of their studies shows that elderly people adopt the new technologies if these technologies are suitable and convenient to use for them and new technologies must be according to needs of elderly people (Gilly and zeithmal, 1987). [17]Explained as people are becoming older, it is difficult for them to adopt new technologies. So the author proposed the model to study the influence of family members like children or grand-children to help adopt to technology. These family members generate the interest and awareness about new technology and help older people to adopt to the technology.
 The result of their stuies shows that elderly people adopt the new technologies if these technologies are suitable and convenient to use for them and new technologies must be according to needs of elderly people (Gilly and zeithmal, 1987). [17]Explained as people are becoming older, it is difficult for them to adopt new technologies. So the author proposed the model to study the influence of family members like children or grand-children to help adopt to technology. These family members generate the interest and awareness about new technology and help older people to adopt to the technology.

Abstract:

Smartphones are becoming essential part of personal and business life and ever more accessible to everyone including older adults. However older adults seem to be experiencing difficulties in interacting with mobile devices. While these devices are widely being used, there are not sufficient studies addressing the usability of smartphones user interface design for older people. Hence, this paper address the issues which are related with interface design of smartphone for older people in Pakistan. This research conducted survey to gather data from older adults across all the states in Pakistan. The questionnaires were distributed to older people who use smartphones in their daily routines. This research present a study of literature and results of survey that led to recommendations regarding complete design for older adults that may be a useful contribution to community when designing interfaces for smartphones.