VOICES
Opinion
PROFIL
EMarc Woodhead asks whether it’s time we create
responsive sites catering to a range of ages
Most web designers create sites for
the perfect user, with the age of
customers at the back of their mind. While
there are many websites built specifically
for children or people over a certain age,
the majority are built for customers who
are already competent online. All age
groups approach websites with vastly
different skills, with the eldest and
youngest, on average, being the least
advanced. In the coming years age-
responsive design will hopefully solve this
problem, with sites changing their design
depending on the consumer’s age.
Most age-specific websites are aware of
their users and create a website that reflects
their skills. For example, children’s websites
are full of colour with clean and simple
inter faces. Chi ldren need to be g uided around
a website. If your brand has a recognisablemascot, it can be used to help the user. Desig n
consistency is also key; making sure each
new page is similar to the one before helps
the customers feel com for table. When done
right, web design can greatly improve a
child’s experience online but it has to treat
them as a child in order to be successful.
When creating a website that is primarily
used by ret i rees or people aged over 60, there
are a number of similarities to kids’ websites.
Both these groups are generally learning how
to use the inter net and this lack of e x perience
makes them very similar. Both need
inter faces that are eas y to fol low, so it is clear
to the user where they need to go. In addition,
no super modern design trends are required:
both these age groups generally go online
with a set goal, whether it is to play a game
or read an article, so they do not require
popups or animation.But, despite these similarities, there are
still a number of differences. For instance,
older users should be offered the opportunity
to increase the font size. Colours should be
kept simple and muted; any strong colours
may not have the same attraction to adults
as children. Making it clear how the user
returns to the website’s homepage would be
useful; they can then start again if they lost
their way on the website.
The differences between making a website
for a millennial compared to a child or retiree
is stark. The designer has to have the
customer in their mind the whole time, as
every aspect of a website can be simplified.
Everything the designer can do without
thinking has to be learnt by a child; this is
why the majority of websites are created for
millennials. Designers have similar skills to
millennials and when they are on auto-pilot
they design sites for themselves.
In the future, designers may be able to
create a number of variants of a single
website, with the variations made for
different age ranges. Age-responsive design
will factor in the user’s age when they visit
a website, changing the website in a number
of ways. The age changes how the website
works, what content is displayed and what
users can do with it. Designers could create
a number of websites; one for children, a
second for the majority of users and a third
for older customers. The second option will
be the original version of the site – because
the majority of users have web skills, they
will be able to deal with this version easily.
As the internet becomes more ingrained
into daily life, designers will have to adapt
and consider how to create different versions
of the same website. Customers are becoming
more diverse and with age-responsive design
they will expect websites to mirror this
diversit y. T his can on ly be seen as a positive;
a more inclusive virtual world that creates
platforms to be used by young and old is a
step forward. Currently, a minority of web
design responds to different ages, yet over
the next decade this will become a strong
majority with a more inclusive virtual world
on the horizon.Woodhead is the founder and CEO of cutting-edge
software development business Holograph, based in
Hastings, UK.
w: https://holograph.digital/RESPOND TO
DIFFERENT AGES
DESIGN