How age affects the speed of perception of computer icons

The use of computers is constantly increasing. At the same time the population of the industrialised world is aging. In this study we investigated the speed with which users of different ages can find a specific computer icon from a group of others. Our results show that search performance slows with age when calculated across all three levels of inter-icon spacing (chi(2) (4) = 14.904, p <.05) and icon size (chi(2) (4) = 15.674, p <.05) used in this study. However, individual variability in search performance was very high within all age groups. Our study suggests that icons used in graphical user interfaces should be at least about I degree in size (about 0,7 cm at a viewing distance of 40 cm) for the majority of users to be able to perform their computerised tasks with relative ease. Also, the inter-icon spacing should be moderate, preferably about the same as the icon size. Ideally user interfaces should be adaptable to individual user needs and preferences. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.