User-friendly websites in the eyes of young and old people

Open Access
Authors
Publication date 2009
Host editors
  • B. Sapio
  • L. Haddon
  • E. Mante-Meijer
  • L. Fortunati
  • T. Turk
  • E. Loos
Book title The good, the bad and the challenging: the user and the future of information and communication technologies: a transdisciplinary conference organised by COST Action 298 "Participation in the Broadband Society": conference proceedings. Vol II
ISBN
  • 9789616277174
Event The good, the bad and the challenging: the user and the future of information and communication technologies, Copenhagen, Denmark, 13th-15th May 2009
Pages (from-to) 775-779
Publisher Koper: ABS-Center
Organisations
  • Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) - Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR)
Abstract
Do elderly people really navigate websites in a different way than younger people do? Or are the differences within this group (such as those due to gender, education, computer experience and cultural background) bigger then differences between younger and older people? This paper first discusses usability studies (mainly, in this case, eye-tracking studies) on the user-friendliness of websites, focusing on older people. A social semiotic framework is then presented for future empirical research into specific enablers and constraints related to the user-friendliness of websites as an information source for the very diverse group that constitutes the elderly population.
Document type Conference contribution
Note Eugène Loos presented this paper also at the Include 2009 International conference on Inclusive Design. It will be published as a research paper, entitled ‘User-centred websites: The (ir)relevance of age’, in the proceedings of that conference (Royal College of Art, Londen, 5-8 april 2009).
Language English
Downloads
313337.pdf (Submitted manuscript)
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