What If Everything We Thought We Knew About Older Users Was Wrong?
The fastest-growing segment of tech users isn't Gen Z.
It's their parents and grandparents.
By 2030, one-third of Americans will be 50+, including the oldest Millennials.
The uncomfortable truth is most digital experiences are built on outdated assumptions about age.
And it's costing our companies billions in missed opportunities.
The $22 Trillion Blind Spot
Think users over 50 are tech-averse?
Think again.
They're outspending younger consumers on digital services
They have higher customer lifetime values
And they're more loyal when we get things right
Yet most of our teams are focused on "younger users" while ignoring the actual ones with purchasing power.
The result?
We're building products based on demographics and stereotypes.
However, research from MIT, Stanford, AARP, and others reveals that we must rethink everything we think we know about "older users".
Why Most Digital Experiences Get It Wrong
We're missing the biggest market opportunity of our careers.
The global longevity economy is estimated to be worth $22 trillion — with $8.3 trillion in the U.S. alone.
It’s known that most digital apps lose over 75% of users within the first 3 days.
But it gets worse when it comes to those over age 50…
AARP reports that older adults abandon digital experiences when the design feels dismissive of their life experience.
Nielsen Norman Group shows older adults complete digital tasks around 25% slower — but this is not necessarily due to age-related limitations.
It’s because younger product and design professionals simply overlooked their values, views, and preferences.
Companies that ignore the 50+ demographic are already losing market share.
Older adults control over half of all consumer spending, yet most digital experiences are still optimized for younger, lower lifetime value users.
The companies getting this right aren't just building better experiences — they're unlocking entirely new growth segments with improved retention, higher lifetime value, and stronger brand loyalty.
This is longevity UX and it will become the biggest competitive advantage in digital product design.
These Myths Are Costing Us…
You've probably heard statements like:
"Older users need simplified interfaces."
Translation: We're infantilizing our most valuable customers.
"They're not our demographic."
Reality check: They're everyone's demographic — with massive spending power.
"We'll add accessibility later."
Meanwhile: Our competitors already have and they're winning.
What You'll Get When Subscribing to age/proof design
✓ Longevity UX Digest (Tuesdays): the only weekly briefing for product and design professionals on the $22 trillion longevity economy — because the most valuable users aren’t the youngest ones. Get longevity economy trends and understand behavioral shifts in the 50+ market. These are the signals your competitors are missing.
✓ Exclusive insights (Thursdays): What older adults actually think when they use products like yours, how they make purchase decisions, and why traditional user personas miss the mark entirely.
✓ Respectful Design Framework (coming August 7, 2025) is a step-by-step methodology to audit your current products for age bias and redesign experiences that work for all life stages without dumbing anything down.
✓ Bi-monthly case studies (coming Fall 2025 as a premium) breaking down exactly why certain apps succeed (or fail) with older users — from login screens to onboarding flows and more. You'll see what drives adoption and what kills it.
This isn't compliance content (what most people think age-inclusive design is about).
It's market intelligence for the real world.
Age Proof Your Digital Products Now
By 2029, companies without longevity UX strategies will be fighting for scraps while early movers dominate the most profitable user segment in tech history.
Join forward-thinking product and design professionals who are reconsidering everything they thought they knew about older users.
The $22 trillion longevity economy is moving with or without you.
About age/proof design Founder Bryan Kelly
Bryan Kelly has a front-row seat to the biggest shift in tech history.
At 45, he moved to the world’s largest retirement community where he's seeking to understand how older adults use tech.
Not how we assume they do.
After working on digital products for nearly two decades, two moments flipped the switch for him…
First was a meeting with a VP of Design who said, "Forget our current users (who Bryan noted were mostly over age 50) and just focus on Gen Z. They’re our future."
That was a head scratcher.
Second was watching a woman in her 70s struggle to navigate a healthcare app. It wasn't her. It was the design.
That made him ask: What if we're the problem?
Kelly isn't just studying this demographic from afar — he's living alongside them.
And as a competitive middle-aged athlete with USA Track & Field, he's also challenging assumptions about age every day.
Recently, Bryan’s been asked to speak at Growing In Content 2025, UX Content Collective's Spicy Take Summit, and digitalNow 2025 about longevity UX.
He's also written for Pragmatic Institute and Agile Insider about product management.
