Older adults: Are we really designing for our future selves?

Event Description:
Join us for an engaging talk with Elizabeth Buie, Senior UX Consultant at Nexer Digital and independent academic researcher, as she shares insights on designing for older adults. While advice on designing for older people often focuses on empathy by envisioning our future selves, it’s crucial to distinguish between challenges that are inherent to aging bodies and those that arise due to evolving technology.

In this session, Elizabeth will explore:

• Persistent design considerations related to physical aging, such as diminishing eyesight, changing color vision, and declining hearing.
• Issues tied to current technological comfort levels, willingness to learn new tools, and typical online behaviors.
• The difference between challenges faced simply due to age and those encountered due to being older in today's technological landscape.

Elizabeth will share her unique perspective as both a professional with nearly five decades of experience in UX and an older person who is comfortable with technology yet experiencing some age-related changes. Through examples from her career and personal experience, she will help you understand which design advice is reliable for the long term and what issues require ongoing testing.

Whether you're a UX designer, researcher, developer, or anyone interested in inclusive design, this talk will provide valuable insights on creating better experiences for older adults.

About the Speaker:
Elizabeth Buie brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. A Senior UX Consultant with Nexer Digital and an independent academic researcher, Elizabeth returned to UX practice after completing a PhD in design research at age 60. She has worked on UX for systems ranging from websites and mobile apps to kiosks and air-traffic control systems, supporting audiences from the worldwide general public to NASA spacecraft controllers. Elizabeth is passionate about designing inclusively for older adults and loves adapting academic research methods to UX practice.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Elizabeth's rich experience and deep understanding of inclusive design!

Host or Publisher Katherine Codlin