Table S9. Accommodating age-related cognitive changes

FUNCTION	ACCOMMODATION PREFERENCE	DESIGN AND PRESENTATION CHOICES
WORKING MEMORY	BETTER	•  Simple instructions – discrete short messages •  Label icons; pictorial info should be highly intuitive.
	WORSE	•  Information overload
PROSPECTIVE MEMORY	BETTER	•  Provide event-based reminders (e.g. voice mail reminders; buzzer sounds – but with caution, see below).
	WORSE	•  Time-based instructions (e.g. take pill every four to six hours) •  Too many similarly-beeping gadgets
PROCEDURAL MEMORY	BETTER	•  Simple intuitive steps. Place in context. •  Minimize the number of steps. •  Slow the pace of training. Frequent repetition for reinforcement. Practice opportunities. •  Give feedback cues for correct action (a key “clicks” or “beeps” when depressed.)
	WORSE	•  Complex, multi-step process. •  Procedures inconsistent with established practice.
ATTENTION	BETTER	•  Simple displays. Short, discrete signals.
	WORSE	•  Avoid visual clutter or background noise. •  Avoid arrays of functions and displays. •  Avoid concurrent actions (pressing three keyboard keys to execute command.)
MESSAGE COMPREHENSION	BETTER	•  Clear messages •  Reasonable pace •  Predictable linguistic structure •  Pauses at grammatical boundaries (after phrases, end of sentences) •  Redundant information •  Rich in context
	WORSE	•  Having to process several pieces of information to draw a conclusion (e.g. typical automated telephone prompts) •  Presenting irrelevant information •  Subtlety, irony, ambiguity •  Unfamiliar context