Every product has a target audience to cater to and when a designer is given a responsibility to create a website for a certain product; he should definitely keep in mind the target audience and their age group. If your product caters to a certain kind of audience, your website should have the features which would be of the target audience’s interest. Keeping in mind the age of the people who would be visiting your website is way too important. Age factor can completely change the way you design so while designing a website, make sure you are aware of the target audience of the product and design accordingly.
Different Generations Using Internet and Websites
Gone are the days when internet and websites were meant to be for youngsters only. With the passage of time web has become an important part of everyone’s life hence, making it necessary for everyone to start using it. This is exactly why all sorts of people from different generations are not using web according to their own requirements and abilities. Now, as a designer, the entire look of the website depends on how you perceive the product. Your design of the website should be general overall catering to all sorts of audiences. However, the much focus should be on the audience your product targets to.
Every website has a purpose and as a designer it is your responsibility to make sure that your website is serving its purpose. There will be people visiting your website who are new to this web world and there will be people who are already an expert in the web world. Your website should be creative enough for the young generation and simple enough for the old generation to understand.
Importance of Age Factor in Designing
There are multiple reasons behind the importance of age factor while designing. People from all age groups should be able to understand your website and designing. It is very rude to ignore the elderly generation just because they are not tech savvy. You never know how many people from elderly generation might be visiting your website so you need to keep them in mind too while designing.
However, your website will be visited by younger generation in a large number so it is very important to keep them in mind while designing because if you disappoint them once, they might not return to your website ever again.
Get Ready for Way Too Young Visitors
In past, children less than 10 years would not even have an access to the computer but this is no longer the case. Initially, computer education was not even compulsory in schools but now after realizing the importance of computers and internet, computer education is a necessity and not a luxury. Nowadays, children who are less than 10 years old are also pretty much aware of how computer and web works. Initially it could be a little hard for them but the whole concept of computers and web is a very exciting thing for them.
Now, if you are designing for a young age group, things should not be as complicated as they would be while designing for adults. When adults visit your website, they have certain goals in mind. However, children are only looking for fun and entertainment and if you give them exciting and interesting things to view, they will love your website.
A few things that you need to keep in mind while designing is that the website should be informative, educating and it should engage the children and keep their interest alive in your website as kids do get bored easy and quick. Children will click on random links and will stick to the one that interests them. While designing for children you have to make sure that the interface of the website is clean and understandable.
Also, use images that are recognizable with animation and sounds. If you feel like including games, make sure they are educating them in one way or the other. Do not forget to use vibrant colors as they are loved by children.
Designing for Teenagers – the most difficult generation
Nowadays, every teenager has an access to computers, laptops and mobiles so internet and web world would be nothing new for them. Even teenagers are quite interested in gaining information and reading informative things online. However, most of the teenagers do not have a specific goal in their mind while visiting a website. For teenagers, it is about educating them but at the same time they love to socialize. While designing a website, you need to make sure that you are offering something interesting to them which would force them to stay on your website.
Also, the features of the website should be interesting enough for them to recommend it to their friends. For teenagers, it gets boring if someone is actually enforcing them to learn. You need to have features in your website which would educate them but in an interesting way.
Designing for Adults
Considering today’s time, the adults of today would definitely have some good knowledge about computers. Now, this does not mean that they know all about computers but they must have seen computer and technology evolving with the passage of time. There might be chances that they are not aware of terms being used nowadays for instance; a lot of people do not know what a browser is while they are using it all the time. If you are designing for an adults website, you need to make sure that it is straightforward, informative and simple however, not too simple to appear childish.
Also, avoid using any sort of flashy graphics or animation as they are not appreciated by adult users. Engaging this age group won’t be an easy task. Such people would expect to get their answers as quick as possible so your website should be informative, easy to use and to the point. You will annoy your visitors if you taking them in circles.
Designing for Senior Citizens
Elderly people are often ignored when it comes to web and graphic designing. When they were growing up, computer was not even introduced so getting used to the new technology might take some time. These people are more willing to learn and research on different things so while designing a website for such people; you do not have to make a very fancy website. Keep it decent, simple and yet informative. You need to make sure that the content of the website is visible and easy to memorize. Website navigations should be less complicated.
Age Does Matter
If you are designing and decorating a room, you will obviously keep in mind the likes and dislikes of the one who is going to say in it. The decoration of the room would be according to the age. Same goes for websites as people with different age groups will have different requirements as a website user. The interface and navigation of the website cannot be same for all age groups. So, keep in mind the target audience but apart from that your website should be simple enough for everyone to understand. People would definitely appreciate your efforts if they are able to understand things offered by you so design sensibly.