Designing User Interfaces for Low-Literacy Populations in Zimbabwe: A Technical Framework

In Zimbabwe, a significant portion of the population is illiterate or has low literacy levels, which hinders access to essential services and information. The study employed a mixed-methods approach involving surveys, focus groups, and prototype testing with a sample of 100 participants. A cognitive walkthrough was conducted to evaluate the interface designs. Design prototypes were tested in urban planning applications, revealing that user interfaces designed for low-literacy populations must incorporate visual aids such as icons and images to facilitate understanding. The findings suggest a need for more research into culturally adapted materials and interactive components within user interfaces tailored to low-literacy users. Developers should prioritise the integration of intuitive visual elements in their designs, ensuring that all aspects of the interface are accessible without reading skills. Model estimation used θ̂=argminθ∑ᵢ(yᵢ,f_θ(xᵢ))+λθ₂², with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.