Global populations are ageing at an unprecedented rate, accelerating the rise of the Longevity Economy, which is a demographic segment with growing time, purchasing power, and influence. However, despite rapid technological advancement, many digital systems continue to be designed primarily for younger users, overlooking the lived realities of older adults. In practice, the barrier is not just access, but usability, confidence, and trust. Therefore, making the everyday experience of trying to use essential services reliably in a world that is rapidly digitising harder.
This white paper presents findings from AgeTech Leadership Labs’ (ALL) pilot internship program, in which young researchers engaged directly with older adults in India to understand how Gen E (50+) experiences digital tools and services. The initiative was designed as a listening-led effort to surface friction points in onboarding, navigation, updates, and safety perceptions, particularly across high-frequency domains such as communication, commerce, and digital payments.
This report is part of ALL’s roadmap to build the Longevity Readiness Index (LRI): A modular benchmark of how ready systems are for the Longevity Economy. LRI measures three layers of readiness: Digital experience, physical/service infrastructure, and economic readiness and cost pressures.
Within “digital experience”, ALL is developing the Digital Usability Score (DUS) as an initial LRI module focused on the digital layer: A practical metric designed to capture how easily Gen E can use a digital app or service over time with minimal confusion, anxiety, or external help. Importantly, DUS is not a measure of a user’s capability but rather a measure of usability, where “usability” refers to the cognitive, procedural, and trust-related ease a user experiences when encountering errors or changes in everyday tasks (e.g., paying, ordering, booking, messaging).
Through surveys and in-depth interviews, the pilot identified a consistent pattern: Older adults recognise the value of digital technologies and are willing to adopt them when benefits are tangible, but many experience repeated breakdowns at specific points. Participants described difficulty with sudden app updates, shifting interface layouts, frequent pop-ups, unclear verification cues, and uncertainty around what is safe or reversible. These frictions discourage deeper feature use, increase reliance on family support, and contribute to sustained digital exclusion even among connected users.
Rather than presenting definitive conclusions, this paper offers thematic insights intended to inform product design, service delivery, and policy conversations. It also recommends the next phase of work: Translating these insights into a practical DUS scoring approach and validating it through expanded user studies and structured input from industry experts.
Over time, ALL will extend the LRI framework beyond digital usability to include complementary readiness measures for physical services and infrastructure, as well as economic indices that shape longevity-era affordability and participation.
Download the White Paper here: Designing The Digital Usability Score for Gen E
