Trade-offs in the design of multimodal interaction for older adults

This position paper presents key aspects and trade-offs that designers, ICT and HCD practitioners might encounter when designing multimodal interaction for a specific target group: older adults. The paper draws together literature on multimodal interaction and assistive technology and presents a set of specific findings for older users. Building on these findings, we describe a number of challenges that should be taken into account when designing multimodal technology for this target group. Further reflections highlight the design trade-offs that such considerations might bring, presenting an overview of the design choices and their potential effects.