Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074

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Computers in Human Behavior Reports

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Using the Kano model to analyze the user interface needs of middle-aged
and older adults in mobile reading
Hsin-Hung Ho a, Sy-Yi Tzeng b, *
a
Department of Leisure Management, Tungnan University, Shenkeng Dist., New Taipei City, 222, Taiwan, ROC
b
Department Graphic Communication and Digital Publishing, Shih Hsin University, Wenshan Dist., Taipei, 116, Taiwan, ROC

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: As society ages and mobile technology develops, the percentage of middle-aged and older adults using a smart
Population aging phone for mobile reading is increasing. However, existing mobile reading apps have not been designed with
Mobile reading middle-aged and older users in mind. This study investigated 14 mobile reading apps targeting users in Taiwan
User interface
and evaluated middle-aged and older adults’ needs for user interfaces. Usability interface comprises the aspects of
Kano model
font style, navigation, page turning, and text to speech, whereas ease-of-understanding interface comprises the
aspects of infographics, category, and item information. This study designed a questionnaire and obtained 187
valid responses from middle-aged and older adults. The Kano model was used to analyze the participants’ needs.
Research results indicated that font style was the only one-dimensional attribute, whereas the remaining in-
terfaces were attractive attributes. The participants reported that the two design interfaces of font style list and
adjustable line spacing button met their aging visual needs. This study also found that Line Today and Facebook
were the most popular reading apps for middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan. Although the platforms’ in-
terfaces did not completely meet the preferences of most middle-aged and older adults, using these interfaces
provided a pleasant experience for them.

1. Introduction
1.1. The trend of an aging society
As society ages and mobile technology continues to develop, the
percentage of middle-aged and older adults (hereafter referred to as
“older adults”) using a smartphone for mobile reading will increase.
However, existing mobile reading applications have little consideration
for older adults in their interface design. The United Nations stated that
one of the most critical trends in the 21st century is population aging. The
old-age support ratio worldwide has been decreasing yearly, especially in
numerous developed countries and some developing countries (United
Nations, 2020). A survey conducted by the United Nations revealed that
in 2050, those aged 65 years or older will exceed 1.5 billion worldwide
(United Nations, 2020). In September 2020, those in Taiwan aged 55
years or older will reach 3.48 million (14.76% of the total population),
and Taiwan will officially become an aged society (Ministry of Interior,
2020). The percentage of older adults using smartphones and tablets to
access the Internet for reading increases yearly. Since 2000, the per-
centage of people in Taiwan who connect to the Internet using a mobile
device has increased from 53.0% to 97.4%. A total of 95% and 88.9% of
those aged 40 years or older and 60 years or older, respectively, use
mobile devices to connect to the Internet (National Development Coun-
cil, 2019). Relevant surveys have revealed that people commonly use a
smartphone for mobile reading, such as browsing social media articles,
news, and life information (National Development Council, 2019) and
reading online articles and using instant messaging (e.g., LINE and
Facebook) (Commonwealth Poll Center, 2014; Taiwan Network Infor-
mation Center, 2019). As society ages, older adults’ demand for mobile
reading increases. Using digital technology to improve the reading
experience of older adults has become a critical trend in design.
1.2. Older adults’ needs regarding a mobile reading user interface
Mobile reading refers to the use of mobile devices—such as e-readers,
smartphones, and tablets—to conduct online reading of the forms of text,
images, or videos (Ferreira et al., 2013; Vassiliou and Rowley, 2008).
Mobile reading is a critical reading method. However, existing mobile
reading apps do not have interface designs that are tailored to an aging
society. Studies have demonstrated that existing interfaces are easy to use

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: syyit@mail.shu.edu.tw (S.-Y. Tzeng).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100074
Received 22 October 2020; Received in revised form 6 February 2021; Accepted 5 March 2021
Available online xxxx
2451-9588/© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc-nd/4.0/).
H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng
for people 45 years old and younger; however, older users find them
difficult and must learn how to use them (Czaja et al., 2019; Pak and
McLaughlin, 2010; Zhou et al., 2012). The postwar baby boomers born
between 1946 and 1964 are in dire need of a user interface (UI) specif-
ically designed for older adults to prevent their encountering reading
problems related to mobile technology and the Internet (Barnard et al.,
2013; Vroman et al., 2015). Despite mobile reading gradually becoming
common, however, few studies have explored the UI needs of older
adults. Wagner et al. (2010) revealed that the number of studies inves-
tigating older adults’ use of computers only increased substantially after
1999, from fewer than 10 to more than 70 per year. However, the early
research was mainly conducted in the fields of geriatrics and psychology;
only in 2004 did studies begin to appear on human–machine interface
interaction, user experience (UX), and action feedback. Nonetheless,
empirical studies demonstrated that studies on mobile reading remained
lacking. Researchers have shown that after a software update, older
adults often need to readjust to the operation layout and feel anxious and
frustrated (Lee et al., 2011; Hu and Chen, 2013; Mitzner et al., 2010).
Scholars have maintained that instead of providing a universal design,
developers should contact older adult users and enlist their help in
developing an operation interface specifically for them (Chiu et al.,
2016). Therefore, this study focused on mobile reading and investigated
UI design suitable for older adults. The research questions (RQs) and
hypotheses of this study are structured as follows: RQ1 corresponds to
H1.1 and H1.2, and relevant research findings are presented in Sections
4.1, 4.2, and 4.3. RQ2 corresponds to H2, and relevant research findings
are presented in Section 4.4. RQ3 corresponds to H3, and relevant
research findings are presented in Section 4.5. The three RQs are detailed
as follows:
RQ1: Which UI design elements in mobile reading apps fulfill the
needs of middle-aged and older adults?
RQ2: What methods are applicable to identifying UI elements to meet
the needs of middle-aged and older adults?
RQ3: When designing mobile reading apps, how do program de-
velopers prioritize UI design factors to fulfill the needs of middle-aged
and older adults?
In this study, we define people aged 45 years or older (born before
1974) as older adults on the basis of the Employment Service Act of
Taiwan. The research objective was to analyze 14 mobile reading apps in
Taiwan that are mainly in Chinese and to conduct UI need analysis. The
14 apps were separated into two categories: e-book and social media
reading apps. The reading content of e-book apps is mainly books,
magazines, and journals. This study included nine e-book apps, namely
iReader, Hyread, Readmoo, Books.com E-book, Rakuten Kobo, Taaze,
Hami Book, Common Wealth Magazine, and National Geographic. The
reading content of social media reading apps is news and content shared
by users on social media. The apps studied in this research were iCook,
Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, and LINE Today. We first analyzed the
design of the 14 mobile reading app interfaces, namely their usability
interface—font style, navigation, page turning, and text to speech—and
ease-of-understanding interface—infographic, category, and item infor-
mation—to form a basis for developing questionnaire scales. Subse-
quently, experts’ opinions were sought to revise the questionnaire, which
was then administered to a sample of older adults. Finally, the Kano
model was used to analyze UI needs.
2. Mobile reading UI
2.1. UI usability
The usability of the UI is a critical factor in mobile reading (Zhou
et al., 2015) because older adults have reduced finger dexterity, and the
limited screen size of smartphones affects touch-screen operation (Zhou
et al., 2012). Studies have shown that because of joint degeneration,
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Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074
older adults take longer than general users to make multitouch gestures
such as zooming in and out by parting and closing two fingers (Hu and
Chen, 2013). Aging also causes degeneration of physiological mecha-
nisms. For example, muscle loss causes unsmooth operation (Huang and
Yang, 2016). Inappropriate font style is a problem commonly encoun-
tered by older adults during mobile reading, and scholars have main-
tained that the problem lies in the font size (Bernard et al., 2001; Darroch
et al., 2005; Hou et al., 2018), font type (Dobres et al., 2016; Huang & Li,
2017), and font spacing (Wang et al., 2009). Darroch et al. (2005) stated
that for adults and older adults alike, the suitable font size for reading is
between 6 and 12. When the font size is smaller than size 6, older adults
have considerable reading difficulties. Bernard et al. (2001) reported that
for older adults, a font size between 12 and 14 created a favorable
reading experience. Hou, Dong, Ning, and Han (2018) and Zhou et al.
(2012) revealed that older adults prefer larger font size, both for assistive
description and reading content. Scholars have also discovered that a font
style interface in which the user can adjust the font size helps older adults
overcome reading difficulties caused by font size (Hasegawa et al., 2005;
Zhou et al., 2012). Regarding font type, Zhao (2018) revealed that the
serif style has a significantly strong effect on reading in English but not in
Chinese. Huang and Li (2017) stated that text in the Kai style enables the
reader to read Chinese more smoothly. Dobres, Chahine, Reimer, Gould,
and Zhao (2016) reported that the M Ying Hei style enables quicker
reading. However, another study showed that serif and san serif styles
did not result in significant differences in digital reading or affect older
adults’ reading speed (Beymer et al., 2008); nevertheless, the study
concerned only reading in English. As for line spacing, Wang et al. (2009)
conducted a study with older adults (mean age: 66 years) and discovered
that suitable line spacing increased readability and reduced fatigue (for
example, if the Chinese font size was 8, the line spacing should be set to
6–8 pixels). Given the physiological conditions of older adults, an
interface design that enables the user to change the font size, font style,
and line spacing may thus be essential for older adults.
On digital devices, the navigation function is often accidentally
touched by older adults, and they waste time in trying to fix this mistake
(Zhou et al., 2012). With age, vision and the sense of touch with the hand
become less acute, and a person is unable to operate navigation in an
agile manner. Therefore, a friendly interface design is needed so that
older adults can more smoothly operate and use device functions (Bar-
nard et al., 2013; Wahl et al., 2004). Scholars have revealed that app
usability and the willingness of older adults to use apps can be improved
through design features such as icon menus that are easily identifiable
(De Barros et al., 2014; Hasegawa et al., 2005), an enlarged on-screen
keyboard (Chuang et al., 2012; Zhou et al., 2012), and a menu that can
be switched simply by touching an icon (Massimi et al., 2007; Chuang
et al., 2012). Conversely, one study reported that although icon menus
increase the operation efficiency of general readers, older adults do not
understand these icons and feel frustrated when operating them (Hara
et al., 2009). Li and Huang (2006) and Gerrig and Zimbardo (2010)
stated that designs with too many hierarchies and menu switching are
more demanding on the working memory of older adults, resulting in
prolonged operation time and increased operation errors; therefore, un-
necessary hierarchy orders and breaking down of functions into several
steps should be avoided. Older adults may prefer interface designs with
navigation through easily identifiable icons and low hierarchical
complexity.
The page-turning function is also a common obstacle encountered by
older adults during mobile reading, because older adults do not care
about the logic and principles behind gesture operation but only about
how to rapidly achieve their goal. Therefore, a simplified page-turning
function, shorter moving gestures, greater error tolerance, and connec-
tion with experience can prevent older adults from accidentally touching
unintended areas, enabling them to achieve their goal within the shortest
time (Zhao, 2018). Studies have discovered that when older adults first
use a touch-screen interface for mobile reading, they need to adjust and
learn gestures because the page-turning method differs from that when
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using a physical book (Hu and Chen, 2013; Zhou et al., 2012). Therefore, Ozdamli et al., 2016). When users are reading, they often pay more
a realistic design that is similar to turning pages in a physical book may attention to graphics than to words. Clear and simple graphics are more
reduce the discomfort felt by older adults during mobile reading. Some visually appealing than text (Nielsen, 1993). One study reported that
scholars have also proposed that assistive design introducing the user to infographics are more accepted by older adults and can increase their
page-turning gestures can reduce the negative reaction of first-time users learning motivation; they can also systematically resolve cognitive
(Barnard et al., 2013; Weng et al., 2010). problems (Castelyn and Mottart, 2012). By increasing the amount of
Whether text to speech has a positive effect on older adults’ mobile information stimulus (such as color and contrast), older adults’ cognitive
reading remains controversial. Lin and Pan (2017) conducted a study on ability can be improved (Zhao, 2018). However, some scholars have
adults aged 65 years or older and discovered that repeated voicing of the discovered that older adults may not understand icons and feel frustrated
dialogue had a significant assistive effect on visual memory. That is, when trying to operate them; in addition, complexity in visual icons
compared with adopting only visual or audio function, adopting both hinders comprehensibility (Hara et al., 2009; Hsu et al., 2017). There-
visual and audio functions enables superior cognition and memory in fore, the use of infographics in an interface may be beneficial for older
older adults. However, due to physiological degradation (Commodari adults, but complex icons may have an adverse effect.
and Guarnera, 2008), older adults may have impaired or lost their abil- The creation of appropriate categories can reduce reading difficulties
ities to sense volume and audio frequency (Crandall, 1991). Therefore, a in older adults (Zhao, 2018). Studies have demonstrated that categories
text-to-speech function may be ineffective or require various voices from specific to the target user provide clear guidance (Baudisch & Chu, 2009)
which an appropriate selection can be made. Additionally, if a and help the user identify information content and improves their
text-to-speech function lacks the support of a notification system, older retention (Chen et al., 2012). Weng et al. (2010) stated that
adults may not it exists due to their unfamiliarity with the interface reading-related cognitive differences derived from users’ age, their
(Baldwin, 2016; Chu, 2006; Zhao, 2018). Therefore, given a worsened experience in using technology, and the conceptual mental model of
listening ability and differences in the operation abilities of older adults, digital products. Therefore, if mobile reading apps use categories that are
text-to-speech functions may not completely meet older adults’ needs suitable to older adults’ cognition, they will provide clear guidance. If
(Table 1). Accordingly, H1.1 was proposed as follows: not, older adults may not understand the wording on the interface and
thus not be able to use the app smoothly.
H1.1. Of the design factors associated with UI usability, those that meet
Item information affects the reading and operation speeds of older
the needs of middle-aged and older adults are font style, navigation, page
adults. Zhao (2018) discovered that both the depth and width of infor-
turning, and text to speech.
mation content must be considered. Width refers to the amount of in-
formation presented in the content, whereas depth refers to its
2.2. Ease-of-understanding interface design complexity. Older adults’ reading speed is reduced when the depth and
width exceed their capacity. Studies have demonstrated that an exces-
The understandability of a UI affects mobile reading. The degenerated sively large amount of information (Lu et al., 2017) or too much complex
physiological functions of older adults, due to their aging, result in a information (Zhou et al., 2012) can be taxing for the cognitive load of
smaller brain blood volume, tangled brain nerve fibers, and formation of older adults, leading to increased operation time. Additionally, one study
senile plaques in the brain. Cognitive function worsens with age, reported that the human brain has limited processing capacity; when too
becoming less efficient (Craik and Salthouse, 2011; Huang and Yang, much information is provided, it may force the user to give up on the task
2016). Therefore, an easy-to-understand interface design can reduce (Babich, 2016). However, another study maintained that enabling the
older adults’ cognitive load and thus increase their mobile reading effi- user to fully understand the meaning of text and symbols can prevent the
ciency. Infographics convert complex text into simple and easily user from confusing terms and reduce their mistake rate (Hu and Chen,
comprehensible graphic information. Common infographics include bar 2013). Therefore, for older adults, information must only have simple
charts, pie charts, and architecture diagrams (Lankow et al., 2012; wording to meet the need for reading. However, older adults may think
that sufficient information should be presented in the text to ensure they
Table 1 have a smooth reading experience (Table 2). Accordingly, H1.2 was
Definition of usability interface design factors. proposed as follows:
Category Factor definition References H1.2. Of the design factors associated with ease-of-understanding,
Font style Adjustable font size, font type, Bernard et al. (2001), Darroch those that meet the needs of middle-aged and older adults are info-
and line spacing, which can be et al. (2005), Hasegawa et al. graphics, categories, and item information.
altered using buttons, dragging, (2005), Hou et al. (2018),
icons, and menus. Huang and Li (2017), Wang
et al. (2009), Zhou et al. (2012) 2.3. UI design need analysis and Kano model analysis method
Navigation Entering the target page through Chuang et al. (2012), De Barros
a navigation list, such as a tab et al. (2014), Hasegawa et al.
bar, a modal menu, left–right (2005), Massimi et al. (2007), Product attributes that satisfy users are not necessarily the attributes
swiping, a infinite scroll List, a Zhou et al. (2012) actually required by the users. Only when product attributes are lacking
drop-down menu, and a sidebar. do users feel negatively affected and know what they really need.
Page Using gestures to turn pages, such Hu and Chen (2013), Zhao
Therefore, the two-dimensional concept of motivator–hygiene theory
turning as by swiping upward or (2018), Zhou et al. (2012)
downward or using a flipping was developed (Herzberg et al., 1993), and this theory was later adapted
card, click to fade, or realistic into the Kano model (Kano et al., 1984). When simultaneously consid-
touch (like flipping the page in a ering a user’s feeling that certain product attributes are present or lack-
book or moving objects). ing, the most critical attribute affecting user needs can be determined.
Text to Using a function to have the text Baldwin (2016), Crandall
speech read out loud, such as a single (1991), Lin and Pan (2017)
The Kano model was proposed by Noriaki Kano in 1984 and based on
button or multiple selection empirical reflection on the motivator–hygiene theory. Kano considered
functions. that under a two-dimensional quality model, when quality factors are
Baldwin (2016), Bernard et al. (2001), Chuang et al. (2012), Crandall (1991), sufficient, the product quality may not meet users’ needs even if the users
Darroch et al. (2005), De Barros et al. (2014), Hasegawa et al. (2005), Hou et al. feel satisfied. Schvaneveldt et al. (1991) categorizes the product attri-
(2018), Hu and Chen (2013), Huang and Li (2017), Lin and Pan (2017), Massimi butes of the Kano model into indifferent quality, one-dimensional qual-
et al. (2007), Wang et al. (2009), Weng et al. (2010), Zhao (2018), Zhou et al. ity, attractive quality, must-be quality, other qualities, and reversed
(2012). quality. Matzler and Hinterhuber (1998) introduced a categorization that

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H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074

Table 2
Definition of ease-of-understanding interface design factors.
Category Factor definition References

Infographics Using graphics and text to present reading-related and progress information, including infographics with text Castelyn and Mottart (2012), Ozdamli et al. (2016)
description (such as percentage, page number, or chapters) or only infographics.
Categories Using words that suit the older adults’ cognition, such as those related to common activities (practical life, Baudisch and Chu (2009), Chen et al. (2012), Weng
health, exercise, and financial management) or nonmainstream subjects (trending content, netizens, kuso, et al. (2010), Zhao (2018).
and self-compiled terms).
Item Presenting detailed or concise word content. The detailed presentation method involves a title and summary Babich (2016), Lu et al. (2017), Hu and Chen
information (such as book title and content summary), whereas the concise presentation consists of a title and issue (2013), Zhao (2018), Zhou et al. (2012).
number (such as book title, author, or issue number) or only showing the ranking (such as Top 100).

Babich (2016), Baudisch and Chu (2009), Castelyn and Mottart (2012), Chen et al. (2012), Lu et al. (2017), Hu and Chen (2013), Ozdamli et al. (2016), Weng et al.
(2010), Zhao (2018), Zhou et al. (2012).

includes attractive requirement, one-dimensional requirement, and

must-be requirement. Zultner and Mazur (2006) further modified the
categories into must-be quality, attractive quality, one-dimensional
quality, reverse quality, indifference quality.
According to the Kano model, UI attributes can be summarized into
six categories, namely must-be, one-dimensional, attractive, reverse,
indifferent, and skeptical (Kano et al., 1984; Zultner & Mazur, 2006).
Must-be attributes are basic functions that a product must have. Once
they have been identified, they are indispensable. Such attributes may
not increase users’ satisfaction but have a negative impact when lacking.
One-dimensional attributes have a linear positive effect on user satis-
faction, increasing the perceived value of a product. Once this type of
attribute exists in a product, it should be maintained. Attractive attributes
give the user pleasure or a feeling of surprise. They increase user satis-
faction. Unlike must-be and attractive attributes, when exciting attributes
are lacking, the user may still feel satisfied and will not feel disappointed.
Indifferent attributes do not generate specific feelings in the user, so their
presence or absence does not affect user satisfaction positively or nega-
tively. Skeptical attributes are attributes that a product should avoid
because they negatively affect user satisfaction. Skeptical attributes exist
on the both ends of the linear relationship of user satisfaction. Their
presence or absence may unpredictably make a user feel satisfied or
dissatisfied. The definitions of the attributes and categories are detailed
in Fig. 1 and Table 3.
Using the Kano model, a user’s perception can be transformed into
quantified product attributes. Various scholars have used the Kano model
to investigate services (Florez-Lopez and Ramon-Jeronimo, 2012; Kuo
et al., 2012), ERP systems (Calisir and Calisir, 2004), product design
(Chen and Chuang, 2008; Lee et al., 2008; Matzler and Hinterhuber,
1998; Wang, 2013), and customer preferences and requirements (Chen
and Ko, 2008; Llinares and Page, 2011; Li et al., 2009). Additionally,
studies on user needs have increasingly employed the model, for example
Fig. 1. Kano model diagram.
Source: Kano et al. (1984), Zultner & Mazur (2006).
Table 3
Kano product attribute categories.
Reversed direction Positive direction
Sufficient
Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied
Insufficient Dissatisfied Skeptical Must-Be One-Dimensional
Neutral Reverse Indifferent Attractive
Satisfied Reverse Reverse Skeptical
Kano et al. (1984), Zultner and Mazur (2006).
in studies on an online shopping interface (Chen et al., 2016), social
media interface (Tu and Tang, 2015), and business system interface
(Wang, 2016). However, research on mobile reading interfaces remains
lacking. Therefore, H2 was proposed as follows:
H2. The Kano model is applicable to identifying UI design factors to
meet the needs of middle-aged and older adults.
Various studies have integrated the Kano model and other methods of
analysis to leverage the strengths of this model while enhancing the
depth of analysis results—doing so facilitates the identification of user
needs. The Kano model can be integrated using the following three ap-
proaches. First, the model can be combined with semantic, fuzzy, or
Kansei engineering techniques (Chen and Ko, 2008; Florez-Lopez and
Ramon-Jeronimo, 2012; Lee et al., 2008; Llinares and Page, 2011). In this
approach, the fuzzy and Kansei semantic expressions of users to describe
their preferences are defined to clarify ambiguity in user expressions. The
Kano model is used to convert data to meaningful numbers. However,
this approach cannot be used to prioritize UI design factors. In the second
approach, the Kano model is combined with importance–performance
analysis, importance–satisfaction analysis, or the analytical hierarchy
process (Kuo et al., 2012; Li et al., 2009; Wang, 2013). This approach is
suitable for analyzing the performance of product attributes as perceived
by various users. However, middle-aged and older adults are unlikely to
be capable of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of UI design fac-
tors. Consequently, this approach was excluded in this study. The third
approach involves the use of the Kano model and ranking of design
factors. In the case of this study, all UI design factors meeting the needs of
middle-aged and older adults were first identified, and then factors that
should be prioritized were identified. Ranking methods used by previous
scholars include performance ranking (Chen and Chuang, 2008) and the
Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Idea Solution (TOPSIS;
Wang, 2013). In the present study, the third integration approach was
adopted to help program developers prioritize UI design factors
belonging to the same attribute category in the Kano model. In light of
the preceding points, H3 was proposed as follows:
H3. Program developers prioritize the interface needs identified using
the Kano model and the high-ranking factors identified using TOPSIS
when selecting UI design factors to meet the needs of middle-aged and
older adult.

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3. Research method

3.1. Research framework

The research framework (Fig. 2) was proposed according to the

literature review and analysis. This study first performed a literature
review to explore older adults’ possible needs regarding a UI for mobile
reading, and we analyzed interface design regarding usability and ease of
understanding. Subsequently, 14 mobile reading apps used in Taiwan (in
traditional Chinese) were evaluated (Appendix A and B). Through expert
discussion, we created a questionnaire and then used it in a survey.
Finally, the Kano model was employed to analyze older adults’ current
needs regarding the interface design of a mobile reading app.

3.2. Research design

To develop the research tools, this study first conducted a content Fig. 3. Pretest configuration (without the instructional video or headset).
analysis to analyze the interface design of mobile reading apps in Taiwan,
which formed the foundation for the questionnaire design. Three stan-
dards were used to select mobile reading apps. First, the app needed to be
compatible with both Android and iOS systems (only the latest version of
the app was used for this study). Second, the reading content needed to
be mostly in Traditional Chinese. Third, the reading content needed to be
updated at least once a week. Next, three experts in the fields of mobile
reading interface design, older adults’ technology use, and older adults’
technology awareness were invited to revise the questionnaire content
during two expert meetings. A pretest, with the participation of 63
middle-aged and older adults, was performed between the two expert
meetings. In the first expert meeting, 19 apps were selected for the pre-
test, after which the second expert meeting was conducted to delete apps
without middle-aged and older users. The deleted apps included Pubu,
Kono, Bookwalker, Zinio, and Daodu. The experimental process for the
formal test was also adjusted by allowing participants to use a headset to
avoid noise disturbances in the testing site and providing an instructional
video for middle-aged and older adults who were confused about the UI.
The instruments used for the formal test included a printed Kano ques- Fig. 4. Formal test configuration (with the instructional video and headset).
tionnaire to survey UI needs (completed by the present researchers),
headsets, recording pens, and papers and pencils. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate committee (serial number: 201808ES007). Items relevant to the UI of
the configurations of the pretest and formal tests, respectively. each app were divided into those for the Kano model or TOPSIS. Fig. 5
The questionnaire content was divided into four sections: de- presents examples of each item type. All items and the instructional video
mographic information (nine items), interface design usability (22 can be accessed using the following link: https://docs.google.com/fo
items), ease of understanding the interface design (nine items), and rms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkrnG9c-20XVTX54sDiOh0oaQYBh_UhSOZ9Jes
suggestions and opinions (three items), with a total of 43 items. The OXpjSbG8vg/viewform.
survey procedures were approved by the relevant research ethics

Fig. 2. Research framework.

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H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng
Fig. 5. Examples of items for the Kano model and TOPSIS.
3.3. User study
The questionnaire was administered at Wanhua Sports Center and
Wenshan Sports Center in Taipei City and at the Taipei City Older Adult
Dream Fair from October to November 2018. In total, 187 middle-aged
and older adults participated in the official test; each participant spent
approximately 15–30 min (including 10–15 min for interface use, 3–5
min questionnaire reply, and at least 1 min for simple interviews) on the
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Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074
questionnaire survey. During the research process, six testers (non-re-
searchers), who had undergone professional training, followed the same
survey procedures. The testers conducted the questionnaire survey with
the participants through a face-to-face approach (offline questionnaire),
in which they provided the participants with mobile devices (Android
platform) on which to use the app interface. A video explanation was
provided for participants who were unfamiliar with the interface.
The participants had their own mobile devices (e.g., smart phones or
H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074

tablets) and had mobile reading habits (more than 30 min per week). A
total of 142 participants were women (76.5%), and 44 (23.5%) were
men. Age-wise, 31 (16.6%) were between 45 and 60 years old, 84
(44.9%) were between 61 and 69 years old, and 72 (38.5%) were at least
70 years old. Overall, 132 (70.6%) of the participants lived in Taipei City,
47 (25.1%) lived in New Taipei City, and 8 (4.2%) lived in other areas
(such as Taoyuan County, Keelung City, Taichung, and Hualian County).
Most of the older adults (160; 85.6%) had completely retired, but 27
(14.4%) were retired but still held a job. Before retiring, 52 (27.8%) of
the participants had worked in the education and science and technology
service industries; 40 (21.4%) in the manufacturing, wholesale, retail,
and storage industries; 21 (11.2%) in the finance and insurance in-
dustries; three (1.6%) in the agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal hus-
bandry, and mining industries; 34 (18.2%) in the housekeeping; and 37
(19.8%) in the public administration, health care, and social service in-
dustries. The apps commonly used by these older adults were LINE Today
(178), Facebook (147), Common Wealth Magazine (31), Instagram (32),
Books.com E-book (23), iCook (18), National Geographic (18), and Hami
Book (11). Other apps were used by no more than 10 participants each.
3.4. Kano model analysis
Table 4 illustrates the Kano model analysis results. The participants
regarded font style list as a one-dimensional attribute, and they exhibited
positive satisfaction if the aforementioned attribute was present (mean ¼
1.67) and negative satisfaction if it was absent (mean ¼ 0.68). Navi-
gation, page turning, text to speech, infographic, category, and item in-
formation were attractive attributes, yielding respective mean
satisfaction scores of 1.30, 0.99, 0.99, 1.42, 1.65, and 1.50 if they were
present and mean satisfaction scores of 0.29, 0.21, 0.24, 0.27, 0.33,
and 0.34, respectively, if they were absent. The paired sample t-test
results for the aforementioned attributes were all significant.
The middle-aged and older adults’ Kano model analysis results for
different interface designs and TOPSIS (the number of participants
preferring) each design were further explored. Middle-aged and older
adults tended to give neutral responses when evaluating unattractive
factors. That is, they had difficulties deciding whether they have no
opinion or dislike of such factors. Therefore, these two anchors in the
TOPSIS items were considered 0 points, whereas like was considered 1
point. Tables 5 and 6 present the analysis results for the usability and ease
of understanding of the interface designs, respectively. Only font style list
and adjustable line spacing (button) were one-dimensional attributes,
whereas the remaining interface designs were attractive attributes
(Table 5). In terms of font style, the designs most preferred by middle-
aged and older adults were the font size button (129), font style icon
(104), and adjustable line spacing (button, 144). In terms of navigation,
most participants preferred the tab bar (137). The most highly rated
design attribute for page turning and text to speech was the ability to
scroll up and down (112) and the use of a single button (116),
respectively. A noteworthy aspect in the data was the two interface de-
signs of font-style icon and list. Despite the icon being the most preferred
interface design, when these two font style interface elements were
missing, participants exhibited a greater dissatisfaction with the absence
of the list than with that of the icon. In Kano model analysis, list is a one-
dimensional attribute, which has more importance than icon, an attrac-
tive attribute.
The results in Table 6 demonstrate that ease of understanding the
interface design comprised several attractive attributes. The participants’
most preferred designs for infographic, category, and item information
were infographic with text (159), mainstream usage (134), and title and
concise description (124), respectively. Notably, despite the difficulty of
the participants in reading text due to their visual degeneration, they still
preferred an interface design consisting of infographics with text de-
scriptions, categories that are appropriate for middle-aged and older
adults, and detailed item information. These design attributes assisted
participants to accurately select the content they intended to read when
using the reading app.
4. Research findings
The validation of H1.1 and H1.2 is presented in Sections 4.1, 4.2, and
4.3; that of H2 is presented in Section 4.4; and that of H3 is presented in
Section 4.5.
4.1. Existing mobile reading app interfaces do not match older adults’ app
usage and preferences
Among the 14 mobile reading apps, 6 used buttons for adjusting font
size, 3 used drag and drop, 1 used a font style icon, 4 used lists for
changing the font style, and 2 permitted line spacing adjustment.
Regarding navigation, 12 used a tab bar menu, 1 used a modal menu, 8
used left/right sliding menu, 3 had an infinite scroll list, 1 had a drop-
down menu, and 6 had a sidebars. Regarding page turning, sliding up
and down was used in 10, a flipping card was used in 1, touch to fade was
used 1, and realistic touch was employed in 8. For text to speech, 4 had a
single button, and 1 gave multiple choices. Regarding infographics, 5 had
infographics with text, whereas 2 had only infographics. For category, 11
used mainstream usages whereas 2 used nonmainstream usage.
Regarding item information, the title and a concise description were
shown in 7, the title and issue number were displayed in 9, and ranking
was shown in 2 (Appendices A and B).
First, the most popular reader tool used by middle-aged and older
adults was social media apps (i.e., Line Today and Facebook); however,
none of these apps included the font-style list and adjustable line spacing
(button) interface designs that middle-aged and older adults require.
Although the participants were still satisfied with the other interface
designs developed by Line Today and Facebook, the lack of the afore-
mentioned interface elements is likely to cause dissatisfaction among

Table 4
Middle-aged and older adults’ mean satisfaction score, paired sample t-test results, and Kano product attribute categories for UI (n ¼ 187).
Variable UI If the interface If the interface correlation Paired Sample Kano product attribute categories
design has this design has this coefficient t-test
attribute sufficient attribute
insufficient

Mean SD Mean SD R p T p

Usability interface design Font style 1.67 .71 .68 1.26 .08 .28 21.56 *** One-Dimensional
Navigation 1.30 .96 .29 1.30 .35 *** 11.62 *** Attractive
Page turning .99 1.26 .21 1.10 .22 ** 5.83 *** Attractive
Text to speech .99 1.38 .24 1.30 .33 *** 4.69 *** Attractive
Ease-of-understanding interface design Infographic 1.42 .82 .27 1.15 .11 .12 15.56 *** Attractive
Category 1.65 .62 .33 1.31 .22 ** 17.27 *** Attractive
Item information 1.50 .81 .34 1.25 -.20 ** 15.49 *** Attractive

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H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074

Table 5
Older adults’ preferred usability interface factors, satisfied, and interface’s Kano product attribute categories (n ¼ 187).
Variable UI If the If the Kano product TOPSIS Comparison results
interface interface attribute (Number of
design has design has categories Preferred)
this attribute this attribute
sufficient insufficient

Mean SD Mean SD

Usability Font Font size Button 1.64 .72 .63 1.28 Attractive 129 Button > Drag and drop
interface style Drag and drop 1.65 .82 .60 1.22 Attractive 81
design Font Icon 1.60 .74 .55 1.32 Attractive 104 List > Icon
style List 1.77 .66 .84 1.22 One-Dimensional 86
Line Adjustable line 1.70 .72 .72 1.24 One-Dimensional 144 Button is appropriate
spacing spacing (button)
Navigation Tab bar 1.32 .92 .34 1.25 Attractive 137 Tab bar > Left/right sliding menu >
Modal menu 1.48 .85 .33 1.40 Attractive 100 Modal menu > Drop down > Infinite
Left/right sliding 1.31 .97 .28 1.35 Attractive 104 scroll list > Sidebars
menu
Infinite scroll list 1.11 1.16 .12 1.35 Attractive 83
Drop down 1.44 .93 .36 1.34 Attractive 90
Sidebars 1.41 .99 .33 1.45 Attractive 63
Page turning Sliding up and .85 1.36 .19 1.14 Attractive 112 Sliding up and down > Flipping card
down > Realistic touch > Click to fade
Flipping card 1.08 1.21 .31 1.09 Attractive 102
Click to fade 1.06 1.26 .13 1.17 Attractive 95
Realistic touch 1.11 1.23 .20 1.15 Attractive 98
Text to speech Single button 1.08 1.31 .20 1.33 Attractive 116 Single button > Multiple choice
Multiple choice 1.36 1.21 .19 1.40 Attractive 77

To reflect the actual user situation, participants were allowed to select multiple answers for this item.
The Kano product attribute categories served as the benchmark for comparison and was supplemented by the number of participants preferring each interface design. If
two UI fell under the same Kano product attribute category, the UI preferred by more participants was assigned a higher ranking.
Satisfied: a mean between 0.67 and 1.99; Neutral: a mean between 0.66 and 0.66; Dissatisfied: a mean between 1.99 and 0.67.

Table 6
Older adults’ preferred Ease-of-understanding interface design factors, satisfied, and interface’s Kano product attribute categories (n ¼ 187).
Variable UI If the If the Kano product TOPSIS Comparison results
interface interface attribute
design has design has categories
this attribute this attribute
sufficient insufficient

Mean SD Mean SD (Number of

Preferred)

Ease-of-understanding Infographic Infographic with text 1.47 .79 .30 1.14 Attractive 159 Infographic with text > Only
interface design Only infographic 1.67 .66 .62 1.40 Attractive 21 infographic
Category Mainstream usage 1.73 .60 .42 1.36 Attractive 134 Mainstream usage >
Nonmainstream 1.68 .61 .20 1.42 Attractive 69 Nonmainstream usage
usage
Item Title and concise 1.58 .68 .42 1.24 Attractive 124 Title and concise description >
information description Title and issue number > Ranking
Title and issue 1.51 .83 .25 1.31 Attractive 99
number
Ranking 1.46 .87 .04 1.32 Attractive 56

To reflect the actual user situation, participants were allowed to select multiple answers for this item.
The Kano product attribute categories served as the benchmark for comparison and was supplemented by the number of participants preferring each interface design. If
two UI fell under the same Kano product attribute category, the UI preferred by more participants was assigned a higher ranking.
Satisfied: a mean between 0.67 and 1.99; Neutral: a mean between 0.66 and 0.66; Dissatisfied: a mean between 1.99 and 0.67.

middle-aged and older adults when using the app. This finding indicates
that the mobile reading apps that are often used by middle-aged and
older adults have interface designs that are inconsistent with users’
needs.
Only one e-book app in this study (Readmoo) included interface de-
signs that match the preferences of most middle-aged and older adults
(i.e., font size button, navigation tab bar, page turning by scrolling up and
down, a single text to speech button, infographics with text, mainstream
categories, and items displaying the title and a concise description).
Furthermore, Line Today and Facebook, which were the most popular
among middle-aged and older adults, only contained three of the design
features favored by this demographic: navigation tab bar, page turning by
scrolling up and down, and mainstream categories.
4.2. Within usability interface design, font style was one-dimensional
attributes, whereas navigation, page turning and text to speech were
attractive attributes
Several key points were revealed by the findings for font style. First,
middle-aged and older adults regarded font style as a one-dimensional
attribute, indicating that this attribute is a basic function that mobile
reading apps must contain (Table 4). The presence of font style options
increases the satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults, whereas its
absence has a negative influence. This echoes the results of Hasegawa
et al. (2005), Hou et al. (2018), Wang et al. (2009), and Zhou et al.
(2012), who concluded that middle-aged and older adults require
appropriate font size, font style, and line spacing to achieve a satisfactory

8
H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng
reading experience because of their deteriorated physiological functions
(e.g., vision). Second, in further interviews, 23 participants remarked
that the interface design should display larger fonts or that the fonts were
too small to be recognizable. This echoes the results presented in Table 5,
which showed that the interface design incorporating a list was priori-
tized over that using an icon by most middle-aged and older adults
(despite most participants preferring the icon). For middle-aged and
older adults with poor eyesight, these icon buttons are more difficult to
see clearly; therefore, they are likely to be more dissatisfied when font
lists (to help them select fonts) are not present. Thus, the Kano
one-dimensional attribute of list should be prioritized instead of icon,
which is an attractive attribute. Third, a button interface design was
preferred over drag and drop (Table 5). During interviews, the partici-
pants maintained that font enlargement and line spacing adjustment are
crucial functions, and that apps should have text that is clearly visible and
an interface that is easy to operate. This suggests that in addition to vision
deterioration, middle-aged and older adults may also have problems such
as poorer physical perception and fear of operation failure.
In terms of navigation, despite all navigation interface designs dis-
playing attractive attributes, the tab bar remained the most preferred
design among middle-aged and older adults, rather than interactive
window, left or right sliding menu, infinite scroll list, drop-down menu,
and sidebars (Tables 4 and 5). This echoed the findings of Chuang et al.
(2012), De Barros et al. (2014), Hasegawa et al. (2005), and Massimi
et al. (2007), who concluded that fixed icon buttons can increase the
willingness to use of middle-aged and older adults. The results in the
aforementioned tables are also consistent with the findings of Li and
Huang (2006), who noted that multiple hierarchical sequencing should
be avoided in navigation to be less taxing on the memory of middle-aged
and older adults and reduce their frustration while using the app. During
the face-to-face interviews, seven participants noted that because the tab
bar is directly displayed at the bottom of the screen, they do not need to
tap on other buttons to search for it. This finding is consistent with the
navigation interface requirements for middle-aged and older adults:
simple, clear, and easy to understand; intuitive; and easy to operate. That
is, relevant apps should contain a tab bar that remains at the bottom of
the screen and should avoid interfaces such as sidebars and interactive
windows, which are typically hidden and require additional tapping to
appear. Apps for this demographic should also avoid interface elements
such as infinite scroll lists, left or right sliding menus, and drop-down
menus because different paths will change the operation screen,
causing anxiety in middle-aged and older adults when they use the app.
In terms of page turning and text to speech, all interface designs were
attractive attributes, indicating that middle-aged and older adults are
likely to be satisfied if the reading app contains the aforementioned
interface elements (Tables 4 and 5). In addition, despite a drop in par-
ticipants’ satisfaction in the absence of these attributes, the decline did
not lead to dissatisfaction among them. The ability to scroll up and down
and a single text-to-speech button are the interface designs preferred by
most middle-aged and older adults, echoing the findings in previous
studies this demographic is only concerned about rapidly achieving the
usage objective instead of which interface they use (Hu and Chen, 2013;
Zhao, 2018; Zhou et al., 2012). That is, instead of more concretely de-
signs (e.g., realistic touch), rapid operation effects (e.g., click to fade),
and more diverse functions (e.g., multiple choice), designs that are easy
to operate, reduce the gestures required, have an increased error toler-
ance, and have a connection with previous experience are more consis-
tent with the needs of middle-aged and older adults.
Moreover, the current results indicated that the attractive attribute of
text to speech, rather than must-be and one-dimensional attributes, did
not alleviate the reading troubles of middle-aged and older adults as
believed by Lin and Pan (2017). The current interviews revealed that
most middle-aged and older adults believe text to speech is omissible,
despite it being a useful function. This is because some of the participants
had deteriorated vision and hearing (Commodari and Guarnera, 2008);
thus, they tended to use text to speech at an extremely loud volume,
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Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074
which disturbed their family members. In addition, apart from deterio-
rated hearing, middle-aged and older adults may be unfamiliar with the
interface design (Chu, 2006; Zhao, 2018) and thus may overlook or even
be unaware of the text-to-speech function.
4.3. Within ease-of-understand interface design, infographic, category, and
item information were attractive attributes
Table 4 shows that infographic, category, and item information, as-
pects of ease-of-understanding interface design, were attractive attri-
butes for older adults. Having these attributes will increase older adults’
satisfaction, and lacking them has no negative impact. However, most
middle-aged and older adults prefer infographics with text, categories
that are familiar to them, and item information with a detailed descrip-
tion (Table 6). The infographic result is different from that of Nielsen
(1993) and demonstrated that unlike general users, older adults do not
pay attention to interface only with infographic. This result was in
agreement with those of Hara et al. (2009) and Hsu et al. (2017); only
infographics and no text description does not help older adults use mo-
bile reading apps. Regarding category, the older adults favored main-
stream usage in interface design and did not favor nonmainstream usage.
This echoed the result of Baudisch and Chu (2009), who discovered that
older adults require effective and clear instructions, and that of Weng
et al. (2010), who reported that due to differences in age and usage
experience, older adults may have different vocabulary than other age
groups, so they prefer common vocabulary over novel, innovative vo-
cabulary. Regarding item information, the participants preferred an
interface design that provided a title and concise description rather than
less item information (i.e., title and issue number or ranking). This result
was different from those of Babich (2016), Lu et al. (2017), and, Zhou
et al. (2012) and revealed that although mobile reading apps that present
more textual information may increase older adults’ cognitive load or
operation duration, it does not cause older adults to give up on their
reading. This result echoed that of Hu and Chen (2013); item information
should be employed to ensure older adults sufficiently understand the
meaning of the information, preventing them from misunderstanding or
making an incorrect choice.
4.4. Use of the Kano model to identify UI design factors required by
middle-aged and older adults and the significance of data analysis results
The Kano model was used as a main survey method in this study.
Compared with conventional satisfaction surveys, the Kano model fa-
cilitates the identification of attractive attributes that are satisfactory but
not always necessary as well as attributes that products must have (i.e., so
called “must-be” attributes) to meet user needs. The lack of must-be at-
tributes can greatly reduce user satisfaction. Of the UI design factors
explored in this study, those that were considered must-be attributes
should be top priority. However, the inclusion of all must-be attributes
can nevertheless lead to user dissatisfaction. This is because two types of
must-be attributes are considered during UI design. The first type in-
cludes attributes that still have room for improvement. Users are not
completely satisfied with such attributes; however, the attributes are
highly crucial to the product, and the absence of these attributes greatly
reduces user satisfaction. The second type includes attributes that are
adequately designed and usually go unnoticed by users; nevertheless, the
lack of such attributes greatly increases user inconvenience.
In this study, the Kano model revealed that none of the UI design
factors were must-be attributes. Only a few factors were one-dimensional
attributes, indicating that middle-aged and older adults perceived these
factors to be beneficial and enjoyable and that the lack of the factors
could lead to inconvenience. The one-dimensional attributes identified in
this study were the list UI in font style and the adjustable line space
(button) UI in line space. These design factors provide functions that
alleviated the inconvenience perceived by middle-aged and older adults
when using the apps. The UI design of the apps also enabled middle-aged
H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng
and older adults to recognize the necessity of these design factors.
Analysis of the Kano model revealed that most UI design factors were
attractive attributes, meaning that middle-aged and older adults occa-
sionally found these factors satisfactory but the lack of these factors did
not lead to strong dissatisfaction. This indicated that although the UIs of
most apps examined in this study were not designed with attractive at-
tributes, middle-aged and older adults still had an enjoyable UX.
Therefore, the absence of most UI design factors explored in this study
would not bother users in this age group.
4.5. Significance of analysis results derived from the integration of the
Kano model and TOPSIS
In the Kano model, various UI design factors might exhibit the same
attribute. How to prioritize such factors is a crucial research topic. In this
study, the Kano model was used in combination with TOPSIS to rank UI
design factors with the same attribute; for example, the button and drag
and drop design factors were both attractive attributes. However, the
button was prioritized because it exhibited a higher preference number
than did drag and drop.
Another scenario may occur when the Kano model is integrated with
TOPSIS. Specifically, a UI design factor with a low preference number
might still be prioritized when it is considered a more essential attribute
in the Kano model compared with other factors. Here, in the case of the
icon and list factors in font style, icon was considered an attractive
attribute with a preference number of 104, whereas list was considered a
one-dimensional attribute with a preference number of 86. Although icon
had a higher preference number than did list, list was a one-dimensional
attribute that may lead to user dissatisfaction were it to be missing.
Accordingly, list was prioritized over icon.
The significance of integrating the Kano model and TOPSIS is that the
analysis results can help researchers prioritize UI design factors with the
same Kano model attributes. However, when the results of the Kano
model contradict those of TOPSIS, the Kano model should be prioritized
because it more accurately reflects the dissatisfaction of middle-aged and
older adults when specific product attributes are absent.
5. Conclusions and suggestions
5.1. Conclusions
The results of this research revealed that font style is one-dimensional
usability interface attributes for older adults, who prefer a button and list
interface design. However, among the existing mobile apps, only two-
—iReader and Readmoo—meet older adults’ needs. E-book apps typi-
cally have font style functions (enabling the adjustment of font size, font
style, and line spacing), possibly because these apps are used by readers
wishing to read for a long period of time, whereas social media reading
apps are for fragmented reading. Consequently, e-book apps are more
concerned with the usability of the font style interface. Most of the older
adult participants considered adjustable line spacing to be a critical
aspect of interface design; however, only two apps had this function.
Second, most e-book apps and social media reading apps employed
tab bar navigation, possibly because they considered the audience to
require an intuitive operation interface, and this happened to meet the
usage need of older adults.
Third, for older adults, page turning and text to speech are attractive
usability interface attributes. In all the social media reading apps, sliding
up and down is used for page turning, whereas in the e-book apps (iRe-
ader, Hyread, National Geographic, Books.com E-Book, and Taaze),
realistic touch was mostly adopted. The reason could be that social media
app developers consider the up–down sliding page-turning method to be
most suitable for users wishing to use time here and there to conduct
fragmented reading, whereas e-book app developers consider the real-
istic design of simulated page turning to provide a more satisfactory
reading experience. Most middle-aged and older adults prefer scrolling
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Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074
up and down to change pages, which may be related to their habit of
using Line Today and Facebook.
Fourth, older adults may have relatively poor hearing and not use the
text-to-speech function, but they preferred a single-button design. Thus,
when older adults use the text-to-speech function, they prefer simple
operation.
Fifth, infographic, category usage, and item information are also
attractive ease-of-understand interface design attributes for older adults.
This group prefers infographics with text, and five mobile reading e-book
apps (iReader, Readmoo, Books.com E-book, Rakuten Kobo, and Taaze)
were discovered to meet their needs. The present study discovered that
infographics can help older adults grasp their reading progress. Without
text (such as percentage, page number, or chapter), older adults cannot
understand the meaning of the infographic and feel frustrated.
Sixth, regarding category usage, almost all of the mobile reading apps
(except iReader) had an interface design in which mainstream usage was
employed. We believe that older adults prefer mainstream usage (such as
wording related to practical life, health, exercise, and financial man-
agement) because they can more easily accept common daily life vo-
cabulary. Nonmainstream usage (such as trending content, netizen, kuso,
and self-compiled terms) may be lost on them.
Seventh, regarding item information, older adults prefer titles with
concise description, and complex messages do not affect their operation
of mobile reading apps. This is because older adults consider it crucial
that sufficient information is presented. However, few mobile reading
apps (e-book readers: iReader, Readmoo, Books.com E-book, Common
Wealth Magazine; social media reading: Instagram, Facebook, Flipboard)
provide titles with concise description.
Finally, the Kano model can be used to identify design factors that
improve the usability and ease-of-understanding of UIs for middle-aged
and older adults. In addition, this model provides further insight into
UX. Although this study employed TOPSIS to rank UI design factors
belonging to the same Kano model attribute, factors that were considered
essential in the Kano model were still prioritized when the results of the
Kano model contradicted those of TOPSIS. This is because the Kano
model can more accurately reflect the perception, or UX, of middle-aged
and older adults when specific attributes are missing.
5.2. Suggestions
Only one existing mobile reading app (i.e., Readmoo) completely
meets older adults’ needs. Facebook and LINE Today, commonly used by
older adults, do not satisfy their needs (such as in the design of Font style,
text to speech, infographic, and item information). We suggest that in
addition to providing tab bar navigation, developers create design in-
terfaces that consider older adults, such as by using list for adjusting font
style, button for adjusting font size and line spacing, pairing text
description with infographics and item information, and using common
mainstream usage for categories, thereby meeting the mobile reading
needs of older adults, a rapidly growing section of the population.
Regarding the attractive text-to-speech attributes, we suggest that apps
with these functions not cancel them, because such cancelation may
cause a drop in older adult users’ satisfaction. If mobile reading apps plan
to include a text-to-speech function in the future, they are advised to
design the interface to have a single button for this purpose. If they use
multiple buttons, they should include clear instructions so that older
adult users wishing to employ the function can use it easily.
Middle-aged and older adults are not active users of mobile reading
apps. Therefore, app developers are recommended to introduce functions
that automatically detect user age. In addition, functions attractive to
users in this age group can be compiled, and the app software can
automatically or semiautomatically activate such functions when it de-
tects the user to be a middle-aged or older adult. Please refer to the im-
ages displayed in Appendix B for the UI usability and ease-of-
understanding designs adopted in this study or refer to the following
link for the UI instructional video: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/
H.-H. Ho, S.-Y. Tzeng
1FAIpQLSfkrnG9c-20XVTX54sDiOh0oaQYBh_UhSOZ9JesOXpjSbG8vg/
viewform.
5.3. Suggestions for future research and research limitations
Future researchers are recommended to conduct research in the
following three directions. First, the Kano model can be combined with
other semantic analysis methods (e.g., fuzzy or Kansei engineering
techniques) because the semantic expressions of middle-aged and older
adults are often ambiguous; they tend to provide neutral opinions and
avoid directly stating their dissatisfaction. To address this problem, se-
mantic analysis can be adopted to reduce the burden of researchers and
identify the needs of UI users in different age groups. Second, the Kano
model can be combined with product analysis methods (i.e., importan-
ce–performance analysis, importance–satisfaction analysis, and the ana-
lytic hierarchy process) to assess the difference between user preference
and use efficiency. Third, an investigation can be made into whether UX
is overrated or whether users’ preferences for UI attributes differ between
Eastern and Western countries. For example, Chinese or Japanese text is
usually displayed vertically, whereas English text is usually displayed
horizontally; hence, users in different countries might exhibit distinct
preferences for UI attributes according to their reading habits.
The limitation of this study is that it only investigated the Chinese
mobile reading environment. The research results may thus differ under
English or other language environments. We suggest that future studies
investigate non-Chinese speaking older adults. Existing mobile reading
apps provide complex and diverse usage in navigation and page turning
(such as providing both tab bar and left/right sliding menu mobile
navigation, or providing both sliding up and down and a realistic touch
page-turning design). Although this satisfies the preferences of various
user groups, presenting many interface designs simultaneously may
cause visual confusion or confusion in operation. We suggest that future
studies investigate the suitability of complex interface designs.
Finally, the mobile reading apps investigated in this study were
limited to smartphone apps. The research could be expanded to iPads or
devices of other sizes (such as touch-screen devices at exhibitions or
outdoor signs).
Contributions
Hsin-Hung Ho: Dr. Ho is responsible for research design, collecting
and analyzing the related literature, conducting questionnaire survey,
writing the manuscript. (Contributions to this research: 50%)
Sy-Yi Tzeng: Dr. Tzeng is responsible for research design, conducting
questionnaire survey, analyzing the data, and revised the manuscript.
(Contributions to this research: 50%)
Ethics
This study was subjected to institutional review board review and
passed the review on October 17, 2018 (Research Ethics Committee,
National Taiwan Normal University- No. 201808ES007).
Funding
This work was supported by the MOE (Ministry of Education)- Higher
Education Sprout Project subsidizing school-level characteristic research
project [project number F10705]. Shih Hsin University/College of
Journalism and Communications/Department of Graphic communica-
tion and Digital Publishing/Assistant Professor Sy-Yi Tzeng.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
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Computers in Human Behavior Reports 3 (2021) 100074
Acknowledgement
We would like to sincerely thank the Higher Education Sprout Project
subsidizing school-level characteristic research project (project number
F10705), the older adults who participated in this study, and the staff
who assisted in this research. Because some of the participants were older
than 65 years, this study was subjected to institutional review board
review and passed the review on October 17, 2018 (No. 201808ES007).
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://do
i.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100074.
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