The Multi-Million $$$ Question

Almost a decade ago when we were testing our designs in part of rural China, we had an experience. A Chinese farmer was testing our location based agricultural information service. He was trying to buy a sachet on demand service during a usability testing sessions.

It was a simple flow. View a sample and buy an information sachet. User requests for the service, he would get a payment confirmation. As soon as he confirms, a request is submitted and he receives the information delivered to him as a text.

He attempted the flow a few times but in vain.

On a few attempts of the service not working as expected, the user threw the device in frustration. 

How can he act like that? It was a shock for the folks conducting the research for a bit.

It was easy to miss the reaction a user gave during one of the UT sessions. But something about the user’s reaction was noteworthy. How can a simple 4-5 step digital interaction invoke such a powerful response? The incident was on my mind for a while. 

The mystery unfolded as time passed by. 

Here is what happened, we were designing with the wrong hypothesis, principles and setting the wrong expectations with users.

Our Hypothesis: Omnipresent Internet access

Internet access is becoming omnipresent and in few years majority of the people on our planet will have uninterrupted access pretty much like electricity. Even if not, people are would not mind a few attempts while using the first of its type mobile service. 

Principles: Quick information access with internet, deliver in a click

I know these statements sound too optimistic even today. The internet penetration has improved, sure! But does everyone stay online perpetually? NO!! The market and tech landscape evolved while internet penetration got better.

While the hypothesis has almost become a reality for the Urban population, the Rural population still does not have perpetual internet access. 

A decade since, I am sure many more designers, researchers and organisations would have stumbled their own experiences of how assuming perpetual internet access in design can hurt.

Question is how many have incorporated that into their products and done it well? Why is this question important? Because it's a multi-million dollar question.

The answer to this question holds the key to reaching the Next Billion Users!