Improving Smartphone Interaction in Functionally Illiterate Nigerian Users

Abstract

As mobile applications become increasingly essential for financial inclusion and economic participation, ensuring they are accessible and usable for everyone is paramount. However, functionally illiterate (FXI) users, often face significant barriers to engaging with digital interfaces. While Human-Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D) has proposed inclusive design solutions, research specific to Nigeria remains limited despite only two-thirds of its population being literate. The objectives of this research were to explore the digital skills and challenges faced by FXI users in Nigeria and identify design techniques that enhance usability and user experience (UX) for FXI users. The research comprised two data collection studies: evaluating existing Nigerian mobile interfaces and testing custom-designed improvements. Data were gathered from a total of 50 participants (40 FXI and 10 literate users) through think-aloud protocols, screen interaction recordings, and surveys to evaluate 17 digital skills. The analysis employed a mixed-methods approach focusing on usability, UX, user interface (UI) design patterns, digital literacy, and mental models. Literate users were included to ensure challenges were not only specific to FXI users. The findings revealed that FXI users experienced significant challenges across most of the 17 digital skills, particularly in usability metrics (e.g., error rates) and UX factors (e.g., enjoyability). Further analysis of 3 digital skills revealed that challenges stemmed from mismatched mental models based on factors like culture, language and textual literacy, and limited technological familiarity. Custom-designed interfaces developed and tested with FXI users demonstrated significant improvements, leading to design guidelines. This research demonstrates that a mental model approach to designing UIs for FXI users promotes a shift from conventional design assumptions to human-centric solutions. In designing for FXI users, creating interfaces that align with their capabilities and context is important, recognising that established design principles may not always work in practice. These insights contribute to developing more inclusive interfaces for Nigeria's digital literacy goals and the broader HCI4D efforts to create more inclusive technologies in developing contexts.