Baidu for the Elderly: A Content and Service Mobile App

Providing Age-Friendly Design and Abundant Services for the Elderly

China is facing serious aging problems, and Baidu for the Elderly aims to provide rich content and services tailored to the needs of the elderly. The app features a systematic, age-friendly design that makes it convenient for users to read, listen to content, and navigate the app. By incorporating various tools and AI technologies such as voice and image synthesis, the app offers abundant services to help the elderly enrich their lives, enjoy digital services, and keep up with the digital era.

Baidu has leveraged its extensive AI technology to personalize the app's content based on the elderly's interests. Intelligent subtitles accompany videos, making it easier for the elderly to acquire information. Voice synthesis allows them to record and listen to family members' voices, providing emotional companionship and addressing dyslexia and visual fatigue. Voice and image search functionalities enable easy searching by voice commands or by taking photos.

The Baidu for the Elderly app is compatible with both Android and iOS systems, showcasing its adaptability. Its user interface features a unified feed layout and enlarged touch areas, allowing the elderly to navigate the app with simple gestures. Voice and image input methods enhance the user experience, while larger fonts cater to those with dyslexia. The app's copywriting is straightforward and easy to understand, making its functions accessible to all.

The Baidu for the Elderly project began in December 2020 and debuted in China in January 2021. The design team, led by Baidu Meux, was based in Beijing, China. Extensive research, including questionnaires, interviews, usability tests, and eye-tracking experiments, was conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the elderly's demands. The team overcame the challenge of the lack of aging design standards and existing apps for the elderly by designing an age-friendly information structure and layout. They also collaborated with CSIA to formulate China's first age-friendly design standard, which will be applied to more elderly products in the future.

The Baidu for the Elderly app has received a Bronze A' Design Award in the Mobile Technologies, Applications, and Software Design category in 2022. This award recognizes the app's outstanding and creatively ingenious design, incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology. The app's strong technical and creative skills contribute to improving the quality of life for the elderly, making the world a better place.