Special Site Paradigm for Elderly Diabetics

Project: CardioCare

Challenge
Design a web site that targets elderly diabetic patients, addressing their unique UX and UI needs.

Comments
The creative brief did not recommend a direction: it only provided sample content and defined the unique needs of the target audience: elderly, poor eyesight, unfamiliar with computers and web browsing, reluctance and difficulty learning new paradigms for consuming information.

Actions

• Conducted online research of the demographic, looked at other websites targeting elderly diabetics
• Recommended a website that mimicked the layout of a printed newsletter, since that would be a familiar paradigm to the target audience
• Navigation available only from the “front page,” and every page had a “return to front page” button — giving users just two things to learn about finding their way around
• No text hyperlinks: just large graphic buttons that were unmistakably “go to” buttons
• Consistent look for anything that is clickable
• CSS-based font-resize gadget displayed prominently on every page, with persistent state of user preferences
• Fluid layouts with handcrafted layout rules at different font-sizes: an early foray into what would later be responsive design, breakpoints and media queries
• Clean, focussed layouts with nothing extraneous on any page
• Bright and colorful for appeal, with just a touch of the pharmaceutical look to instill trust