Betty, who is 89, has likely seen technology make what must seem like monumental changes. My nephew, who is 6, has never seen a world without the internet, smart phones, tablets and other things. Betty, who is 89, will likely be dead within the next decade. My nephew, who is 6, statistically will very likely be alive in that same time.

While I think it's honorable to use better designs to solve real problems for real people, I think we much too often attribute age as a factor in both understanding and operating technology. It's just not. Eyesight, dexterity, lucidity, etc. are factors that may change with age, but don't assume that means you can design for an age bracket. Design for color blindness, shitty internet connections or what have you, but not age. It's stupid, judgemental, and a waste of time.