A website that uses the various guidelines described so far in this chapter and various others would be suitable for most types of users, as the result would be a website that is easy to use and accessible. A website to which these guidelines are applied appropriately is likely to have, for example, a clean, well-laid out design, good graphics that are used appropriately (if graphics are used), and font-size that promotes legibility, all of which are favored by users of all ages. Where it is necessary to design an application for a specific age group, because only that group is going to use it, refinements need only be made in the form of adding features preferred by that group. The three main categories of users commonly distinguished are children, teenagers, and adults, each of which has sub-categories that have their own preferences. For example, children of age 3-12 years are typically further categorized into young (3-5), mid-range (6-8), and older (9-12) children. So, designing for different ages amounts to designing for all ages plus making necessary refinements. Table 24.1, adapted from studies by NN/g, shows some of the differences between children, teenagers, and adults in terms of their preferences.
Source: Sklar David (2016), HTML: A Gentle Introduction to the Web’s Most Popular Language, O’Reilly Media; 1st edition.