Recommendations for the Development of Web Interfaces on Tablets/iPads with Emphasis on Elderly Users

The use of Internet services is part of the daily life of people and should be easy to understand, presenting no technological barriers regardless of the type of user or of the equipment being used. Elderly users play a prominent role in the increased use of online tools, not only on personal computers but also in the use of new technologies such as tablets. This exploratory study, with ten participants, aims at analyzing interactions made by elderly and young users when accessing Gmail on the web version of the iPad and comparing it to that of young users in order to assess similarities and differences. Focus was placed on academic issues related to interfacing by elderly users, whereby some points were still relevant and others criticized for not being aligned with the technology of tablets and the form of gestural interaction. As a result, a list of recommendations was compiled for the development of web interfaces for tablets/iPads with emphasis on elderly users.