Small Screen-Large Information Challenge for Older Adults: Navigating Through Big Pictures and Menus of Mobile Phones

Abstract

Due to the limited physical size of the screen, handheld devices are limited in the amount of information that can be displayed at one time. When the information space is large or the information structure is complex, users may get lost in the digital world, especially for older users. This paper focuses on navigation in the digital world, dividing it into navigation within a single page (in the case of large images) and navigation across pages (in the case of menu structures), illustrating the existing challenges for each. Despite wearing a digital veneer, we believe that the essence of the navigation problem in the digital world remains the same as navigation in the real world in a broad sense. Thus, breakthroughs can be explored in the research of real-world navigation. This paper attempts to weave the underlying logic of designing for navigation in the digital world from the neuropsychological level to the cognitive level. In conjunction with our recent researches, we highlight the challenges faced by older adults in navigating in the digital world, and propose design suggestions such as spatial knowledge-based navigation aids and innovative interaction methods based on navigation strategies.