Graphic design for Seniors Must Focus on Readability, Urges Expert

Sept. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Plainfield, Indiana - If your organization creates materials aimed at senior citizens, following some practical steps will make your materials far more effective at creating connections, suggests veteran copywriter and marketing consultant Scott Flood of Scott Flood Writing.

"As people age, their eyes have a more difficult time distinguishing elements on a printed page," Flood explains. "Focusing on readability and clarity will make it easier for older readers to receive the messages you convey, and reduce the possibility that they'll turn away out of frustration."

For example, Flood suggests using familiar serif typefaces such as Times, Palatino, Century, Garamond and Goudy. "They may seem ho-hum, but they’re much easier on the eye," he says. Similarly, boldface and underscoring tend to be better for emphasis than using italics. "Type size is important, too. Think twice before going with anything smaller than 10-point. In most typefaces, 11-point body text works just fine. Another way to enhance readability is to increase the spacing between lines of text."

Even something as simple as indenting paragraphs can help. "It may may seem old-fashioned, but older readers have read that way since childhood," Flood notes. "You can also use subheads, bold lead-ins, bullet points, and similar devices to guide the reader’s eyes. Make sure you have enough contrast between the type and the background, too, because it's harder for older eyes to distinguish between subtle differences in color and tone."

Scott Flood Writing (www.sfwriting.com) provides effective print and online copy to companies and other organizations.

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About Scott Flood Writing: Scott Flood Writing (www.sfwriting.com) provides effective print and online copy for companies and other organizations.