Designing Products for a Rapidly Aging America
Imagine waking up tomorrow to find the world subtly, yet fundamentally, shifted. The roads you rely on, once smooth and standardized across over four million miles of the US, are suddenly narrow, treacherous pathways. Signs are unreadable, rules are obscure. Getting to work, the store, or even accessing essential services becomes a frustrating, perhaps dangerous, ordeal.
While this sounds like an outlandish thought experiment, for roughly one in six Americans, aspects of this reality are faced daily (1). They navigate systems, products, and environments not designed with their needs in mind. This challenge is becoming increasingly critical as our population ages. The United Nations projects the global population aged 60 and over will hit 1.4 billion by 2030 (2). Here in the US, this demographic shift demands a new approach to product design – one built on empathy, foresight, and the simple elegance of making things work for people.
“There are no disabled people, we are all just temporarily abled.”
As Dr. Henry Viscardi, a pioneering disability activist, profoundly stated, “There are no disabled people, we are all just temporarily abled.” Whether through aging, illness, or injury, our abilities change. Design that ignores this reality excludes not just a segment of the population, but potentially our future selves.
Human-Centered Design: More Than Just a Feature
This is where the philosophy of ergonomic, user-centered design becomes essential. It’s not about adding niche features; it’s about fundamentally rethinking how products interact with people. The benefits are clear and universally appealing:
Improved Safety & Health: Design that fits the body reduces physical strain and the risk of injury.
Enhanced Usability & Efficiency: Intuitive products are simply easier and faster to use, minimizing errors and frustration.
Increased Comfort & Satisfaction: A product that feels good to use creates a positive experience and builds loyalty.
Greater Accessibility: Thoughtful design opens doors, allowing more people to participate fully and independently.
Think of the OXO Good Grips kitchen tools. Originally designed for people with arthritis, their comfortable, non-slip handles are now beloved by everyone. Consider sidewalk curb cuts – essential for wheelchair users, but also helpful for parents with strollers, cyclists, and delivery workers. Or closed captions, vital for the 12 million Americans with hearing loss, yet appreciated by many in noisy environments (3). When we design for accessibility, we often create solutions that are simply better for everyone.
Beyond Altruism: The Smart Business of Inclusive Design
Embracing inclusive design isn't just the right thing to do; it's smart business. By 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older. By 2034, there will more 65-and-older than children — the first time in American history (1). Excluding this population is akin to ignoring a massive market segment. Companies like Apple, integrating features like Speak Screen narration, and Microsoft, with its Xbox Adaptive Controller, recognize that meeting diverse needs expands their reach and enhances user experience.
““By 2034, [people 65-and-older] are expected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history.””
Looking Ahead: Designing Our Shared Future
The digital natives of today are the aging population of tomorrow. The need for accessible, intuitive, and comfortable products will only grow. Product design companies have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to meet this moment. By embracing user-centered principles and recognizing the diversity of human ability, we can move past roadblocks and beyond mere functionality to create experiences that are truly welcoming, supportive, and empowering for all.
References:
(1) Vespa, J., Medina, L., & Armstrong, D. M. (2020, February). Demographic turning points for the United States: Population projections for 2020 to 1 2060 (Report No. P25-1144). U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p25-1144.pdf
(2) World Health Organization. "Ageing and health." Newsroom, Fact Sheets, 2022, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health.
(3) U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. "Disability Characteristics." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1810, 2023, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2023.S1810?q=disability.
Stull, E. (2018). UX Fundamentals for Non-UX Professionals. Apress. [Citations within the text refer to specific sources mentioned in Chapter 19 on Accessibility, including Federal Highway Administration, US Census/American FactFinder, Apple Accessibility, Xbox.com, and Hearing Loss Association of America]. Used with permission.