When I began researching mobile usability among functionally illiterate (FXI) users in Nigeria, I knew I didn\u2019t want to just measure drop-off rates or error counts. I wanted to understand what was really happening in those moments when users hesitate, backtrack, or abandon a task. What were they thinking? What assumptions were embedded in the design that made it feel out of reach?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In HCI literature, there\u2019s been a growing acknowledgement of underserved users \u2014 but FXI users remain largely misunderstood and misrepresented. Most research discusses \u201clow literacy\u201d or \u201clow digital skill\u201d in terms of ‘limitations’, but few delve into the practical and cognitive challenges aspects users encounter with existing mobile interfaces in terms of differences in interaction styles. So we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This study took place in urban Nigeria, focusing on two app categories: mobile banking and e-commerce. We recruited functionally illiterate adult users \u2014 not illiterate in the traditional sense, but individuals who experience difficulties in interpreting, acting on, or transferring written information and digital instructions even when they are exposed to technology. Using a mixed-methods approach, we combined usability testing, interface-level observation, and interviews, applying the Digital Literacy Global Framework (DLGF) to map where things broke down \u2014 and where they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most revealing findings? FXI users didn\u2019t find everything difficult. Many could complete tasks in one context (like navigating WhatsApp) but not in others (like filtering products in a shopping app). It wasn\u2019t about skill alone \u2014 it was about how the interface asked them to think. The friction often came from inconsistent layout patterns, information overload, or hidden cues that assumed familiarity with abstract metaphors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWhen we layered UX benchmark data over these findings, the results were stark: both apps scored below average, and not because of user limitations. The design failed them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
By applying the Digital Literacy Global Framework (DLGF), we could map digital literacy competencies against UI-level breakdowns<\/span>. This approach provided a comprehensive view of the alignment between design expectations and user realities, emphasizing the need for usability studies to go beyond performance metrics, especially for marginalized users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n