Designing mobile technology for elderly. A theoretical overview

•Considering aging population, inclusion and involvement of elders in the IT society is mandatory.•Design of mobile devices for elderly lacks ease of use.•Design principles and solutions should fit the elderly physical and cognitive profile.•Design principles should help researchers and practitioners develop proper devices for elders. Aging of the population, an increased life expectancy, and the need for an independent living are already widely recognized social changes that put a massive pressure on the healthcare system. In this context, the inclusion and involvement of elders in the IT society is mandatory. Assistive technology (technology designed to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of older adults,), due to its impressive evolution, is believed to be capable of solving the gap between the wishes of the elders and their needs. Although a wide range of technology is present in the daily lives of seniors, directly dealing with it can be frustrating and stigmatizing especially due to the lack of ease of use. It is erroneously considered that technology design is already user-friendly. Considering the deterioration of physical and cognitive abilities, the present paper is a theoretical overview on the most important design principles and device features needed to fulfill the elders’ needs. This review can serve as a starting point for researchers and practitioners in their endeavor to design more suitable technology for older people.