Step 0 – 1st March 2026
The next two weeks will be focused on developing three different prototypes. My main goal is to explore how interfaces can be designed to better support older adults, especially those who didn’t grow up with digital technology. But before diving into design, I need to ask myself some questions: what is the real problem here? What do older users struggle with the most? Is it that apps and websites are simply too complex, with too many steps and features? Or is it that digital interfaces don’t match the way they expect things to work? Or perhaps it’s not the design at all, but a broader question of digital literacy, understanding how devices, apps and online systems actually function.
Step 1 – 8th March 2026
At the beginning I thought the main challenge would be designing intuitive, accessible interfaces. But as I began talking to people, I realized the picture is much bigger. Many of the people I asked weren’t just struggling with specific apps, they were struggling with digital literacy itself.
This opened my eyes to an important distinction: while good design can make apps easier to use, it can’t replace the need to teach fundamental digital skills. Tasks like navigating menus, understanding security warnings, or even recognizing phishing emails require guidance and practice.
I focused on brainstorming what the digital learning platform should actually teach and how it should support older adults in learning digital skills. Instead of starting directly with the design, I tried to map out the most important areas of digital literacy that the platform could cover. These include basic device skills such as navigating smartphones or adjusting settings, understanding common apps and websites, learning fundamental digital concepts like cloud storage or files, as well as topics related to online security, communication and everyday digital tasks.
While collecting these topics, it also became clear that the platform should not only provide information but guide users through learning in a structured way. One idea that was to create a “Today’s Lesson” feature. Instead of presenting users with many options at once, the platform could suggest one small learning session per day. This approach could help reduce decision fatigue.
Prototype 1
Prototype 2
Prototype 3 – Final Prototype
With the last prototype I tried to move away from the “dashboard” layout a bit and instead focus on something much clearer. Rather than showing lots of different options right away, the interface tries to guide the user through what to do next.
The “Today’s Lesson” feature became the main focus of the layout. It’s the first full-width card right after the hero section and noticeably larger than everything else on the page. The idea is that the most important action of the day should require zero searching. Many older users don’t scan pages the same way younger users do. Instead, they read from top to bottom.
Another element I tried out is a progress tracker with color-coded topics. Each topic has its own color instead of everything looking the same. The idea behind this is that color can become a kind of memory anchor. Over time users might remember something like “orange was the security lessons” without needing to read every label again.
For the lesson library I created video cards that show the duration and difficulty level right away.
Another thing I want to add is an accessibility toolbar directly in the Navigationbar. Instead of hiding text size or contrast settings somewhere deep in a settings menu, the controls (A / A+ / A++ and a contrast toggle) are always visible. My thought here was: if someone needs larger text, they probably need it immediately, not after navigating through several menus they might already struggle to read.
