Inside Nigeria's digital leap: testing a new KaiOS phone with first-time users
When KaiOS approached us to validate the usability of their new dual SIM phone in Nigeria, we knew this wasn't your average user test. This was about designing for first-time device users: people who may never have owned a smartphone before, who might be first-time internet users with potentially low literacy skills. As UX consultants working across emerging markets, these are the moments we find most meaningful, where design meets real-world constraints, and inclusive design is not a choice but a necessity.
Why we did this study
KaiOS had developed a spatial navigation system tailored for their unique phone interface, one that's often used in entry-level smartphones. But would it make sense to users with minimal digital experience? Our client wanted to know: Does this model align with users' mental models?
The Challenge
Validating navigation design for first-time tech users in emerging markets
Key research questions
Does this device align with users' mental models?
How intuitive is first-time use?
What navigation paradigms is remembered over time?
Understanding this required going beyond the lab and into the everyday realities of people just beginning their digital journeys.
Our research approach
To answer these questions, we conducted:
  • 12 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with participants in Nigeria
  • An observational usability test of the device
Participant selection & testing methodology
All participants were carefully recruited to reflect the segmentation defined in the screener, ranging from digitally inexperienced to non-literate users with limited exposure to mobile phones or the internet. We focused on hands-on usability testing, observing first-time interactions, mental model mismatches, and adaptation over time. We wanted to know what tripped users up, what made them feel confident, and what they remembered after initial onboarding.
What we learned
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Spatial metaphors only work if they're visible.
Users responded better to navigation models that mimicked physical movement: left, right, up, and down, only when visual cues reinforced the action. Without visible anchors or feedback, navigation became guesswork.
2
Icons matter more than labels.
In low-literacy contexts, icons weren't just helpful; they were essential. But they needed to be simple, culturally familiar, and distinct enough to reduce ambiguity.
3
Consistency beats complexity.
Users built confidence when interactions felt predictable. Repeating button functions across screens (e.g., always using the same key to go "back") helped establish trust in the system.
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First-time use is make-or-break.
The initial experience set the tone. If users struggled in the first few minutes, they were far less likely to explore or persist. Onboarding flows need to be short, visual, and skippable once learnt.
Takeaways & next steps
For teams building products for digitally underserved communities, this study reinforced a critical truth: you can't design in a vacuum. Navigation models that work in one context can completely break in another. KaiOS walked away with specific, actionable changes to refine the visual language, onboarding steps, and button logic of their product grounded in real user behaviour, not assumptions. As for us, it was another reminder that inclusive UX is not just good design; it's essential design.
Let's talk: How do your products hold up with first-time users?
Reach out to learn how we can help you bridge the usability gap across emerging markets. Contact us
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