A USER INTERFACE FOR MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY

Information and communication technology users in rural communities of developing countries are still learners and also lack the knowledge of the potentials of these technologies. To enhance the usability and promote the acceptance of information technologies into their daily life, the medium of interaction should be able to meet the capabilities and cultural preferences of the target users. User interface design for products and services targeting rural users is a big challenge and requires adequate effort, proper understanding of the users and their socio-cultural environments. A study was conducted to design a mobile user interface for users in a rural community in South Africa. The aim of the study is to bring information technology services closer to the people and encourage micro-economic activities in the community. The objective is to design a user interface that will be easy to use and meet users' cultural preferences. We have applied user-centred design methods and collected both qualitative and quantitative data to guide the design process. This paper presents the design of a shop-owner user interface and a mobile commerce application to promote rural micro-entrepreneurship and economic development. The evaluation of the user interface with the target users was conducted and the technology acceptance model was used to measure users' perception of the shop-owner user interface. The statistics analysis of the data shows that users perceive the application and interface as useful, easy to use and intend to use the system.