Designing for Seniors: Key UI/UX Lessons Learned in Healthcare App Development

Creating a healthcare app for an older audience brought our team some unique challenges - and plenty of learning opportunities! Our app is part of an FDA-cleared cardiac monitoring solution that helps users keep an eye on their heart study progress and the status of their heart monitor device. It lets users check how much time remains in their study and know when to change electrodes or charge the device. With most of our users being 40 and older, and many not being particularly tech-savvy, we quickly realized that a user-friendly experience was a must.

Here are some of the key lessons we learned along the way:

1. Designing for Accessibility: Accounting for Display Zoom and Large Text Sizes

One of our first big surprises was discovering how many users had Display Zoom and large text sizes turned on. For these users, our carefully crafted interface didn’t look so careful anymore - it became a cluttered mess, with overlapping text and misaligned buttons. This taught us how important it is to make sure designs adapt smoothly to various accessibility settings. Now, our app adjusts automatically, so all users can navigate comfortably, whether they need larger text or standard size.

2. Minimizing Unnecessary Warnings

Initially, we programmed the app to display a warning for every potential issue, thinking this would help doctors get the best possible data for accurate diagnoses. But it turns out that constant alerts can leave users feeling worried or confused - especially when they care as much about their heart health as our users do. Some issues couldn’t be fully fixed anyway, since factors like skin type or body weight naturally cause minor variations that don’t impact the final results. So, we adjusted our warnings to pop up only when there’s an issue users can actually address, like a low battery or no Internet for data upload. For other minor issues, we chose gentle prompts or quiet background monitoring. This change gave users peace of mind and made the app feel less stressful to use.

3. Doing the Tasks for Users Whenever Possible

At first, we had separate input fields for users to enter reference codes for each service the app offers, including the heart monitor service. Despite our best efforts to explain which code went where, users often mixed them up, resulting in many support calls. So, we simplified things by combining the inputs into one field and programmed the app to figure out the correct service based on the reference code pattern. This small change completely eliminated the confusion - and the support calls too!

Conclusion

Looking back, designing this app taught us a lot about the power of small design changes to make a big impact on usability. By enhancing accessibility, reducing unnecessary warnings, and automating tasks, we turned a complex process into something that feels welcoming and easy to use.

At ITR, we’re passionate about creating healthcare technology that’s both reliable and approachable. With our experience in Digital Health app development, we know how to blend strict standards with user-centered design, so our solutions feel intuitive and accessible. Our goal is simple: to make technology work better for everyone, one friendly app at a time.