Design Elements: The Interaction of Elderly People on Product Interfaces

This chapter mainly discusses the issues of usability interaction problems on elderly with electrical home appliances products. The focus is on fundamental elements including interaction, elderly’s limitation and product interface. To clarify the issue, a comparison study is used on some previous model and two research papers purposely to identify the similarity and differences of finding. There are different sources for the roots of problem related to the issue according to past research model. For interaction models, the main problems with the product include bad system or function and a complex design which is unconcern user needs, while through two research papers, the main factors influenced from user weakness are less knowledge on product functions, decrease in cognitive capabilities, low self-confidence and weak body. In addition, a big gap between the mental model between designer and elderly contributes to unpractical new product function. A rigorous study is critically needed for specific interaction problems between elderly and product due to a consistent growth population nationwide. Technically, the difference roots of problem demand deep research on elderly behaviour while using appliances product. This new contribution to the issue of usability interaction through comparative research finds benefit for product development, elderly user and economic planning in the future.