Emergent User Design Framework for E Payment Mobile Application

The introduction of smartphones have been a huge leap forward in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Information and Communication in order to be effective has to be adopted and used by the potential users. Ubiquitous and mobile computing researchers have for long envisioned a future where the users in developed regions can adopt and adapt to the changing technologies. Motivated by such vision, devices and services were innovated exploring the value of alternatives with and for individuals, groups and communities. On the other hand such long term explorations are uncommon for emergent users; users, for whom advanced technologies are just within reach. Rather, there is an assumption that today's high-end communication technologies will “trickle down” to these users in due course. While there has been extensive literature on user modelling, there has been little to no effort in modelling emergent users - these users are those who are less educated, economically disadvantaged, geographically dispersed and culturally heterogeneous. These users have not been adequately addressed by the progress in ICT until recently. Current E-Payment applications have certain barriers which makes adoption of the application difficult for the emergent users. These barriers arise due to user characteristics like lack of technology exposure and low levels of education and income. These barriers prevent useful interaction of existing computing (PC and mobile phone) User Interfaces by emergent users. The current iterations of the e-payment applications are either highly verbose, confusing or difficult to use for the emergent user. This also prevents the users from using the applications. But applications like WhatsApp have seen tremendous response from emergent users. The simplification of registration and interaction mechanisms and the reduction of choices, frees the users from cognitively intensive tasks and sacrificing features whose relevance is less. Adopting these ideologies can make e-payment applications adoption by the emergent users an easier task.