Designing age-friendly mobile apps: Insights from a mobility app study

Figures & data

Table 1. Díaz-Bossini and Moreno’s Older Adult-Friendly Mobile Apps Features Checklist.

Consideration	Feature of mobile apps
Background	Avoid rapid change in brightness between screens. Use colors conservatively. Use high contrast colors between foreground and background.
Browsing	Avoid scroll bars. Avoid overlapping pop-ups.
Cognition	Provide ample time to read information. Support recognition instead of recall and provide fewer choices to reduce demand on working memory.
Content	Avoid irrelevant information. Highlight important information. Use simple and clear language. Use simple, clear, and consistent screen layout, navigation, and terminology.
Graphics	Avoid animation. Ensure that images have alt tags. Use simple and meaningful icons.
Target	Avoid the need to double click. Use larger targets that have greater visibility.

Table 2. Participant Profile Descriptions.

Item	Description
Participant coding	Participant’s background remains anonymous; they were recorded based on a code, age, gender, and location instead of names such as T001, 66, female, urban.
Gender	Female/Male
Location	Randomly selected locations (states/territories) consist of: Johor Kuala Lumpur Perak Sarawak Selangor
Age	Categories of age group: 60–74 (youngest-old) 75–84 (middle-old) 85 and above (oldest-old)
Total participants	127 older adults

Table 3. Interview Questions.

No	Probe
1	Probe on mobility app video watching – Was the video easy to understand?
2	Probe on what participants think are the main reasons for the mobility app and its functions – What do you think are the main reasons for developing and using this mobility app and its functions?
3	Probe on the transportation option functions and situations for comparison and feedback – Was it easy to search for transportation options, can you understand the information provided?
4	Probe on preferences – What do you like and dislike about the functions of this mobility app?

Figure 1. Number of participants by gender.

64 male participants versus 63 female participants.

Figure 2. Percentages of rural and urban participants.

57% urban participants versus 43% rural participants.

Figure 3. Number of participants by age group.

40 participants between age 60 to 64 years, 65 participants between age 65 to 74 years, 20 participants between 75 to 84 years, and two participants age 85 years and above.

Table 4. Main Thematic Findings from Probe 1.

Theme	Main findings
Learning	Long instruction videos do not pique the viewer’s interest.
	Easier to learn new things from one’s children, partner, or relatives.
	Preference to learn new things through face-to-face interactions as it ensures entire message is communicated as intended and not left to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

Table 5. Main Thematic Findings from Probe 2.

Theme	Main findings
Usefulness	The usefulness of new technology is important, and in the case of mobility apps, this includes a variety of services such as accompanying for medical check-ups, carrying things, or assist those who have mobility difficulties.

Table 6. Main Thematic Findings from Probe 3.

Theme	Main findings
Ease of use	Simplicity of the use of technology is significant for older adults, for instance, older adult-friendly app that does need to memorize a password, easy to download and install, and simple sign-up procedure.

Table 7. Main Thematic Findings from Probe 4.

Theme	Main findings
Security	Concerned about providing personal information such as IC and home address due to issues such as scammers or concerns about being cheated.
	Anxious about new technology’s safety and security features, showing concern about volunteers cannot be trustworthy.