UX DESIGN FOR NEXT BILLION USERS (NBU)

User experience doesn’t only focus on the experience of the existing users but also pay attention to people who anticipate to become internet users. These are people getting online for the first time. Globally, there are a billion people just using the internet, these people are called Next Billion Users.

In this article I will explain why understanding the next billion users is crucial in UX design and how to get into the mindset of people who are using the internet for the first time.

Issues facing next billion users

i. Cost: People might not be able to afford expensive phones with big screens and lot of storage.

ii. Connectivity: People might not have constant connection to the internet.

iii. Digital Literacy: People might not be familiar to design pattern, actions or icons we use.

iv. Literacy: Some users aren’t able to read, while some might need to change languages before they can understand the information.

How UX designers can overcome these Challenges

Cost

People with few resources tends to buy less devices with low RAM. The phones might load web pages slowly and users might have problem downloading files or accessing some part of the pages . To solve this problem, since a company cannot low the standard price of phones, then its up to the UX designers with the support of engineers to figure out how to improve storage. The ability to disable apps is one of the way UX designers and engineers can make this happen. This will help free up some space on the phone and increase the efficiency of the device.

Connectivity

This might be due to insufficient data balance or inconsistent of network coverage. UX designers should try to find ways to make the offline experience as rich as the online experience. UX designers should have a way to make offline experience as rich as online experience. For example, giving users the ability to load video offline and making sure that feature and experience is well-designed.

Digital literacy

It’s important to know that your users might not be familiar with using a phone to download an app or setup an account. UX designers should keep things simple, create help, video tutorials and all.

Literacy

Some users are not able to read and write. Designing multilingual keyboard options and using universal understandable icons, keeping it all simple makes it easy for users of this category.

Conclusion

Our goal is to make every user feel like we designed the experience just for them no matter who they are, where they live, how much they earn,or how highly they’re educated.

Gaining a comprehensive understanding of your user’s context is what makes you a good UX designer.