The Design of Operational Interfaces for Older Adults

Increasing numbers of older people are living independently for longer. The ability to use domestic information-processing appliances, such as washing machines and microwave ovens, to carry out activities of daily living is an important aspect of independent living. The focus of this research was on the design of operational interfaces on domestic information-processing appliances for older adults.

Inclusive and user centred design are used to create operational interfaces that address users’ ergonomic needs. An early study carried out as part of this research identified unclear relationships between operational interfaces and instructional materials, such as cooking instructions on food packaging or washing instructions on clothes, as a major concern. Two impediments to the flow of a task were identified: interaction breakdown (where the task is stalled) and focus shift (where a user is distracted from the task).

Given the importance of these to the use and therefore design of the operational interface, a coding scheme was developed to enable systematic analysis of participants’ interactions with operational interfaces and associated instructional information. The coding scheme covers participants’ interactions with operational interfaces and the task being carried out. The research concluded that inability to use operational interfaces was because of limited connections between visual instructions on the interfaces and instructional materials. Also, habitual behaviours demonstrated in the routine activities could be used to design improved visual instructions and information in sequential series on operational interfaces.