Simplicity Gone Wrong: Revisiting Implicit Designs for Older Adults

Abstract

This study investigated how removing implicit design elements, such as gesture-based or symbol-based interactions, affects the usability and learnability of mobile applications for older adults. We used Line, a popular social media platform in Taiwan, for a case study and created a prototype version with implicit designs removed for comparison. We collected data from 16 older adult participants and primarily focused on their verbal responses and task completion performance. Our findings suggest that replacing symbol-based designs with text can improve user experience, while replacing gesture-based designs did not result in better usability. We also found that how the user explores the application greatly impacts whether implicit design affects their experience. This study provides insights into how users interact with different kinds of implicitness and provides a case study of a less frequently reviewed application.