Optimizing an Online Payment System for Older Adults Through Participatory Design
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Date
2023-05
Department
University of Baltimore. Division of Science, Information Arts and Technologies
Program
University of Baltimore. Master of Science in Interaction Design and Information Architecture
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This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is made available by The University of Baltimore for non-commercial research and educational purposes.
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Abstract
This paper explores the effectiveness of participatory design with older adults serving as co-designers in improving the user experience of an online payment system for other older adults. Specifically, the study focuses on enhancing the online payment system of a local utility website, with a focus on mobile devices. A total of 10 older adults served as co-designers and created the system "QuickPay" which was then tested with 10 other older adults. Usability tests were conducted on both the original and redesigned systems, and the results showed a clear improvement in overall user experience in the new system. However, the study also revealed various technological barriers that older adults face, which may hinder their adoption of such systems regardless of a positive user experience. The study informs designers to consider certain barriers while both including older adults as co-designers and when designing for this cohort. The findings highlight the need for future quantitative data and iterative design on the newly developed online payment system “QuickPay”. Overall, this study shows the potential of participatory design with older adults in creating user-friendly products for other older adults, while also acknowledging the importance of addressing broader technological barriers to adoptions.