How can a company ensure its services are inclusive and accessible to users of all ages and backgrounds?

Great question! This isn't just a concern for big companies like LY Corporation (LINE Yahoo), it’s a core issue for any business serious about building successful, scalable services. Let me share my perspective as a fairly experienced yet everyday user, in plain language.

How Can Companies Make Their Services Enjoyable for Both Grandparents and Grandchildren?

Think about entering a public place, like a large shopping mall. If the mall only has stairs, people in wheelchairs, parents with strollers, or even seniors with mobility issues would struggle to get in. But if the mall designs gentle ramps and elevators, doesn’t everyone—including tourists with luggage and young adults whose legs are tired after a workout—find it much more convenient?

When companies build apps or web services, they are essentially "constructing buildings" online. Making them easy and pleasant for everyone follows the same principle. The key is building accessibility and inclusivity into the design from the very beginning, not patching it on later.

Here’s a breakdown of how to achieve this:

1. Start with Empathy: Truly Understand Diverse Users

This is absolutely the first and most crucial step. If the product team's mental model of the user is only "25 years old, tech-savvy, living in a big city," the result will feel awkward and frustrating for many others.

Build a truly diverse team: If the team includes people of different ages, backgrounds, and even employees with disabilities, they can spot "assumed" design flaws early, when the product is still in the sketch phase. For example, "This icon color is indistinguishable to my colleague with color blindness," or "This gesture is way too complicated for my mom."
Don't guess in the office; go out and talk to people: Engage with real users. Watch how they actually use their phones. Don’t just talk to young people; actively seek out seniors, residents of smaller towns, or people with special needs. Seeing where they get stuck or frown is far more revealing than any data report.

2. Design Thoughtfully: Build Accessibility Features In Like Ramps

Once you understand the needs, and integrate them into the design. This is about adding "ramps" and "elevators" to your digital service.

For those with "poor eyesight":
- Text must scale: Most fundamentally, when users adjust the system font size (e.g., in phone settings), the app text should resize accordingly without breaking the layout.
- Strong color contrast: Background and text colors need clear distinction. Avoid "subtle gray" text on a "light gray" background – it's hard work to read. This is crucial for older adults and users with visual impairments.
For those with "less nimble fingers":
- Larger touch targets: Buttons and links need hit areas big enough to tap easily. This is especially important for seniors or anyone using the service on a bumpy bus ride – tiny, elusive buttons are maddening.
- Minimize complex gestures: Fancy swipes and drags might wow young users, but for many, a simple, large "tap" button is the most reliable way.
For first-time users or those from different cultural backgrounds:
- Use plain language: Text in the interface should be simple and clear. Avoid excessive jargon or fleeting internet slang. Aim for clarity understandable to both a grade-schooler and a professor.
- Intuitive icons: A "trash can" icon is universally understood to mean "delete." But overly abstract icons can be bewildering. If there's doubt, add text labels next to them.
- Cultural sensitivity: Illustrations or examples should reflect diverse skin tones, ages, and genders, making users feel "I belong here." When operating in different countries/regions, respect local cultural norms and language usage.

3. Leverage Technology: Make Your Service "Readable" by Machines

This is often overlooked but can be a lifeline for people with disabilities.

Imagine a blind user: they interact with their phone using a "screen reader" – a virtual assistant that reads aloud the text and button labels on the screen.

If a button is just an image, and developers haven't added alternative text (like "Search button"), the screen reader will just say "image," leaving the user completely unaware of its function.

Therefore, companies must ensure:

All significant images have descriptive alternative text (alt text).
All videos include accurate captions/subtitles for users who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
The entire app or website can be fully navigated and operated using only a keyboard (no mouse required).

4. An Ongoing Effort: Launching Isn't the Finish Line

This is never "done once and dusted."

Provide easy feedback channels: Make it simple for users encountering problems to report them. Think: a clear "Provide Feedback" option.
Schedule regular "accessibility audits": Periodically check if your service still meets inclusivity and accessibility standards. Technology changes, and so do user needs and expectations.

To put it simply:

Making a service welcoming to all is like running a universally accessible restaurant. You need to cater to popular tastes (core functionality), but also provide high chairs (for families), offer vegetarian options (for different dietary needs), have ramps at the entrance (for those with mobility issues), and ensure the menu text is large and clear (for seniors).

This goes beyond mere "political correctness" or charity; it's actually the secret to building a more robust and popular product. A design friendly to seniors is often easier for anyone who has misplaced their glasses. Improvements made for users with disabilities often benefit everyone in specific contexts (like using a phone with one hand). Ultimately, everyone wins.