Field-tested interfaces for the next billion

This talk was given at Front Trends in Warsaw, 24 May 2017. "The next billion” is a phrase bandied around a lot these days. Connected smart phones are bringing computing and the internet to many people who are now learning to use digital interfaces for the first time – people all over the globe; from West Africa to India to Brazil. Serving these users is both an economic opportunity and an ethical imperative.

So what does this actually mean in practice? How does someone who’s been introduced to technology through a second-hand cheap Blackberry knock-off powered by a car battery respond to these new and shiny ways of interacting with machines? What effects do unreliable power and intermittent internet have on the user experience? How can we make sure that keeping up with the cutting edge won’t alienate the people in these fast-growing emerging economies who are just starting to get into the web?

In this talk we’ll go through examples from working with novice tech users in resource-constrained environments, and discover how they navigate apps, comprehend interfaces, input data, and understand screen flows. You’ll learn how certain UI patterns, animations, and navigation conventions hinder or help, and leave with an understanding of how to include these millions of new users in your product thinking.

Transcript

1. Field-tested interfaces for THE NEXT BILLION ! @allyelle
4. Europe 80% connected
6. USA 75% connected
8. Australia 85% connected
10. Canada 88% connected
12. Mexico & Brazil 50% connected
14. South Asia 24% connected
16. Sub-Saharan Africa 22% connected
19. Serving these users is the right thing to do
20. 1 billion new users = 1 billion potential new customers
21. It benefits everyone
22. Empathy
23. Empathy is bullshit !
24. It’s hard to know what you don’t know
25. Who am I anyway?
26. I'm Ally Long @allyelle
27. I’m a product designer and front-end developer
38. Practical tips
39. The typical user...
40. There isn't one ¯\(ϑ)/¯
41. Typical devices
44. Anxid → Huawei → Lenovo → LG → Samsung (if you're fancy) ! → Apple (if you're reeeeeally fancy)
45. Condition → scratched up screens → glare protection films → big rugged cases
47. Make sure Opera Mini is part of your testing process
48. Connectivity
49. Connectivity → remote and rural areas have very little cellular coverage → even in built-up areas and cities, network coverage is often poor → broadband internet / wifi very uncommon → data is still expensive
50. Latency
51. Optimise for responsive UIs → Don't tie UI elements to long-running operations such as network requests → Don’t block navigation → Loading indicators (spinners, progress bars) should be inline
52. Difficult to charge Finding a working power source is not always easy
55. Charging is slow → A diesel generator takes around two hours to charge a smartphone → Solar power takes 4-5 hours to charge a smartphone
56. Phones off
57. Touch screens are easier to use than laptops
59. Gestures...
60. ¯\(ϑ)/¯
61. Where's it at? If elements are offscreen, they're not discoverable.
64. Avoid concealed elements in general
68. Proper affordance → make the buttons and actions bigger, clickier, more obvious → clear labelling → combine icons with labels
70. What does this do?
72. Animations
73. Animations in form elements = !
74. Animations to describe spatial model = ❤
78. Consistency
79. A consistent UI helps people learn and memorise
80. Make it fun
82. Steal!
83. Ok fine. Borrow. → Facebook → Whatsapp → Gmail
85. Process
86. Adjust your design / dev processes to include in- person usability testing in these markets.
87. Assemble a diverse team with local partners
88. Keep calm and just shut up
89. Give up control of the situation
90. Document everything, and quickly
91. To summarise...
92. Be curious, have empathy.
93. But do the research.
94. African tech consumers are demanding and informed
95. They want clear and reliable mobile solutions
96. The same things matter
97. Communication, connection, economic opportunity.
103. Strip everything back to the essentials
104. Know your users
105. Be Curious
106. “The Next Billion” is the future of the internet
107. Thank you ! @allyelle