UX Design for the Next Billion
Building accessible, affordable, and awe-inspiring designs for a better digital future.
While humankind has always been intrigued by visually appealing designs, our loyalties still lie with how we can make our lives easier. Even the most basic of inventions like the fire and the wheel evolved as solutions to life’s primary problems. Isn’t this what UX is all about– finding solutions to our problems so we get the best user experience?
A well-designed product is that which appeals to the user’s eye, takes their comfort into account, and brings about happiness. Through partnerships with several leading players in the health-tech, fintech, gaming, and e-commerce industries, Thence ensures that users are satisfied with their experience. Along with this, businesses like ours are also focusing on extending this feeling to the next billion users, or NBUs, as Google likes to call them.
Who are the Next Billion Users?
Did you know that Swiggy’s revenue has increased up to 91% from the pre-COVID levels? This means that people from emerging markets like India and Pakistan have become increasingly dependent on the internet over the pandemic. Our education, our work culture, our shopping methods have all gone online.
Rather than a luxury, technology is now a necessity. People from developing economies like Asia, Africa, and Latin America are now willing to pay for a better user experience. These are the people who are classified as the Next Billion Users– the ones who are going online for the first time.
These are users who are looking for designs and processes that will help them complete their tasks without external help. Thence’s collaboration with Northern Arc, a leading NBFC, led to the digitization of traditional financial processes making them fast and efficient. Here, we facilitated designs that will enable the user to be self-reliant. It is crucial for businesses to shift their focus towards people-centric design at this juncture.
The 3 Cs– What Must Businesses Consider?
Designing for the next billion users is tricky because a lot of new strategies and processes have to be put in place. The user base will be spread across various parameters. Three of the most vital factors that we need to take into account in this regard are Cost, Connectivity, and Complexity.
1. Cost
Can the user afford the technology that they are provided with? Especially when it comes to developing economies, businesses must take the monetary factor into account and incorporate lighter apps in order to save device and data costs.
Through Thence’s project with Orlink, a health-tech startup, we helped increase surgical efficiency across the USA while driving down costs for all stakeholders involved.
2. Connectivity
Designing for the next billion users also involves keeping in mind that most of these users have unstable power supply and internet connections. Many might not have access to a 4G internet connection, let alone 5G. Finding a steady power source to charge one’s phone or computer is still an issue for them, because of which businesses must come up with solutions like creating offline-friendly apps.
3. Complexity
The next billion users prefer tech made simple. Someone who has sent emails for a long time might find it difficult to suddenly use Whatsapp on their phone. Instead of confusing them with several options, it is best to keep the features as accessible to them as possible.
How to Design for the Next Billion Users?
The next billion internet users are willing to spend on designs that they can easily use. According to Google’s UX Researchers, Living in an increasingly globalized world means that there's an opportunity to proactively build ethical and meaningful products that are inclusive of societies and cultures worldwide. Here’s how designers can achieve this:
1. Know your Users
Conducting thorough user research is crucial while designing for the next billion users. The emerging markets comprise a diverse population with different accessibility and usability issues. Researching users on multiple levels will allow the designers to have a nuanced understanding of their audience.
2. Consider the Logistics
Not every user has access to the same technologies or devices. Designers must keep this in mind while designing for the next billion. Some ways designers can achieve this is by creating responsive designs, lighter applications in terms of data and battery drainage, enabling offline usage, and keeping updates minimal. For example, you can read and draft emails on Gmail when you’re offline as well.
3. Be Inclusive
While dealing with a diverse population that is just getting introduced to tech, it is essential that designers keep factors such as solving the language barrier, understanding user literacy, creating disability-friendly designs, etc. Voice typing and Multilingual typing on Gboard are examples of inclusive designs.
Summing Up
UX Design for the next billion users might be a challenging task but an important one. The population of the next billion users is fast expanding and will soon become the prime user base of most brands. Businesses and designers need to innovate consistently to make designs accessible for emerging markets across the globe. As a UX Design and Product Consulting company, Thence is dedicated towards making digital products accessible to all users through better technology, simplified designs, and faster results.
