Overview
Rethinking UI design for a smartphone app
Design for non-e-literate and low-literate users
How can we create an application that can assist a community of non-e-literate and low-literate in their daily work life?
The research explores the differences in how people perceive User interfaces and elements, Icon recognition, and cultural differences, creating an experience for low-literate and non-e-literate users. A conceptual framework for a visual language and an experience is created for a smartphone application based on the learnings and assumptions gathered during the research conducted at a potter community in Kerala. This group of people is not new to technology but they are far from using and applying it for their own innovative solutions.
The resulting documentation will include the design process, the design principles which evolved out of the process. Creating a user experience for non-e-literate and low-literate people is different. We need to understand whom we are designing for and build design principles around it.
Project
Self-directed inquiry as part of Design and Identity studio at Srishti
Mentorship
Syed Gowhar Andrabi, Nupur Banerjee and John Praveen Ganta
Involvement
UI/UX, Visual communication, service design
Introduction
In recent years, we are being exposed to technological advancements at a rapid pace. From entering digits to touch screen to voice command inputs, we have seen its growth. While the changes are seen to be a minor challenge to most of us (the e-literates), they can be overwhelming and challenging for non-e-literates and low-literate individuals. The way technology is utilized can be different from generation to generation.
Digital devices are starting to move on to provide more visual cues than textual content. This is done so as to speed up data perception, save up space on the screen, and increase the memorability of the elements via visual images. But to what extent do people understand or perceive the visual cues for a certain task? Will your perception and understanding be similar to mine? What about those in the marginal lines of digital technology adoption?
Similarly, creating an experience for those users should be different. How can an application be created that can assist a community of non-e-literate and low-literate in their daily work life?
The process
The application that is envisioned is a platform that can assist the pottery community in times of need. The app does not demand constant attention from the user. It should just be an extension of their possibilities of innovation and personal growth. Understanding the target audience and their needs are vital to creating an application. Everyone has a smartphone these days. Creating a mobile application would allow people in the community to download on their own devices. Although some individuals in the community possess smartphones, there is a barrier to language, context, and perception which denies them to utilize the capabilities of digital technology for innovative solutions. Using a new application might pose to be intimidating and challenging to the target audience. Hence, the application created must be familiar, simple, and culturally appropriate. It should display only features that are essential to the users but have a scope to expand when the users become adept at the interface language.
Concept
The smartphone application will comprise features that can assist
the pottery community in their work life. A personal app that trains the
pottery community through videos, provides innovative design ideas
that they can implement, showcase personal artwork that can be
viewed by prospective clients through a public profile (the research for
this will be carried out in the future), an easy payment screen. The
community is not new to technology, but not everyone is adept at using
smartphones for various needs. They have access to the internet, but they
don't exploit it or try to discover possibilities they can grasp through it.
Even though this application is for the Pottery community, I envision an
application that can train, provide innovative solutions and create an
online presence for all artisans of our country.
Mission statement
Key characteristics
Critical actions
Story, theme and attributes
Ideation
Task flow
Key features
User flow
Creating an experience
Creating UI
Co-creating UI interfaces with the community is the what I believe would make this journey useful and helpful. I learned about various graphic styles through the inquiry but only certain styles can benefit the perception by the community.
A couple of hypthesis to test:
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The users’ are familiar with current user interface layouts. They can easily navigate without any cognitive friction.
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The users’ find it difficult to perceive touchscreen interfaces and to recognise certain UI elements.
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The users’ would perceive visual imagery more compared to textual.
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The users’ may understand the visual imagery with an accompanying text.
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The users’ will be able to navigate the User interface seamlessly with the help of voice recognition and audio feedback.
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Flat design is minimal and can make the interface look clean.
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Skeoumorphic design can offer better affordances.
Reflect
Through the research, I was able to come across research papers and studies that enlightened me to pursue inquiring about designing user interfaces for
low-literates and non e-literates. I was able to learn a lot through the process and I hope I can keep continuing this area of inquiry further on.