Tap and Swipe Activity Zones on Smartphones for Novice Older Adults

This article investigates tactile interaction on smartphones with adults aged 65 or older who were considered to have a novice level of skill with technology. Two experiments with two different groups of 40 Portuguese adults adds empirical evidence to the field and shows that older adult performance for tapping is best toward the center, right edge, and bottom right corner of the smartphone display. Results also show that a participant's performance of horizontal swipes is better with targets toward the bottom half of the display, while participant's performance of vertical swipes is better with targets toward the right half of the display. This article contributes to the body of research on the design of user interfaces for smartphones and mobile applications targeted at older adults, as well as providing practical information for designers and practitioners developing products that are more universally accessible.