Ageism in Tech: Why Older Designers Are Better Than Younger Designers

Video version of this article:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE7DtfGxMNw

Ageism is a huge issue in the tech industry. People over 50 are seen as “too slow” to keep up with the fast pace of the industry, they don’t really “get it,” they aren’t willing to push the envelope anymore, they aren’t willing to put in the hours.

Why does it matter?

This is an important topic because everyone gets older.

You can’t deny some of the science around age-related decline. You have more aches and pains, your energy levels are a bit lower, you need to take more breaks.

But let’s not ignore the science around brain development, either. It’s been proven that the human brain is not fully developed until age 25 and some argue that the full extent of mental faculties isn’t available until over age 30. There’s a reason that you aren’t allowed run for president if you are younger than 35. The brain retains its ability to learn and adjust to new ideas and stimuli — a concept called Neuroplasticity — well into your 70s.

Based on my experience teaching a diverse group of students how to make a career change into UX design, any trouble older students had with picking up on the topic of UX…