Designing websites with senior citizens in mind

If a senior citizen has trouble looking up information on a website, Tom Tullis wants to know why.

Are the links clear? Is the text guiding the user to the wrong place? Is the typeface too small?

”If they’re not finding it, that’s what we want to learn," said Tullis, who studies website design and usability for Fidelity Investments in Boston.

Tullis works at the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology in Boston, which is known for its research on website usability. While the center has worked with computer users of all ages in its lab, a growing segment of its studies in recent years has focused on the unique experiences of seniors — how websites can be better organized and more accessible to those with visual or cognitive difficulties, or those who are less familiar with online services.

By Emily Shartin, Globe Staff

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2005/04/03/designing_websites_with_senior_citizens_in_mind/