Designing an effective and visually appealing

In an increasingly digital world, ensuring accessibility in user experience design is paramount, especially in diverse, multilingual societies. The use of vernacular languages in digital platforms plays a crucial role in bridging gaps in accessibility for users who are more comfortable in their native languages. As illustrated by this research, incorporating local languages into UX design not only enhances comprehension but also builds trust among users. Many individuals, especially those from rural or semi-urban areas, often have limited proficiency in English, making vernacular language options essential for their interaction with apps and digital services. For example, while most users are familiar with English terms through common apps like WhatsApp, a significant portion of them rely on local languages for deeper comprehension, particularly when engaging with new or complex financial concepts.

The study also reveals that vernacular language integration fosters user engagement and confidence. Participants demonstrated increased interaction and better understanding when content was available in their preferred local language, underscoring the importance of vernacular choices in onboarding processes and transactional settings. Moreover, for many users, a mix of Hindi and English, which is Hinglish, seemed to resonate, reflecting their everyday linguistic practices. By aligning UX design with the linguistic realities of its user base, digital platforms can better serve diverse populations, ensuring inclusivity and a seamless user journey. This research highlights the potential of vernacular language in enhancing user comprehension and retention, making UX more accessible for non-English speaking populations.

JAR's Autopay Feature

The Jar app is a fintech platform designed to help users easily save and invest small amounts of digital gold. Jar's autopay feature is a key element that simplifies and automates the saving process. It allows users to set up recurring payments through UPI platforms. Users can set daily, weekly, or monthly savings goals as per their convenience. They can start their digital savings with amount as low as ₹10 and they can either withdraw their savings in the form of cash or physical gold.

Research Objectives

To understand, if using vernacular languages has an impact on user’s understanding of Autopay and content comprehension of the existing vernacular screens. 

Cohort 1: Users set up Autopay after showing the test. (Hindi and Hinglish) 

Cohort 2: Users who cancelled the Autopay after setting it up (Hindi and Hinglish) 

Cohort 3: Users who did not start Autopay even after showing the test. (Hindi and Hinglish) 

-> 9 Participants were recruited for this study from three cohorts, 3 from each cohort. This division in the users was done to determine if there is any difference in pain points and user behaviour among different use cases.

-> 5 participants chose Hindi and 4 participants chose Hinglish during onboarding. 

Methodology

Moderated Remote Usability Testing with 9 participants over Zoom video calls with a Figma prototype

Insights & Findings

Cohort 1 (Users who set up Autopay after testing)

Participants: Amardeep (41), Suman (30), Debraj (27)

Insights:

Users showed better engagement and understanding when content was presented in Hindi, particularly familiar words like "Aasan" (easy).

Trust in the app increased when they were able to comprehend the flow and onboarding in their preferred language.

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Cohort 2 (Users who cancelled Autopay)

Participants: Arvind (34), Khanaram (24), Vaishali (26)

Insights:

These users had issues with technical errors or mistrust in the autopay system. They perceived language mismatch or confusing terms related to financial processes.

Some faced difficulty understanding terms like "Rozana Ki Bachat" (Daily Savings), mistaking it for a manual rather than automated savings process.

Cohort 3 (Users who did not set up Autopay)

Participants: Kajal (25), Mukesh (28), Akhilesh (18)

Insights:

These participants had lower levels of understanding, even with vernacular options. A key issue was confusion about the autopay feature due to inconsistent terminology.

Some preferred English for technical or financial terms, despite selecting Hinglish or Hindi initially.

Key User Insights

Language Preference and Comprehension:

Key Insight: 88.8% of participants preferred a mix of Hindi and English, commonly referred to as "Hinglish." Users were often comfortable with basic app usage in English but found financial terms and key instructions more relatable in Hindi.

Example: Participants like Arvind and Kajal were comfortable with general English terms but found specific technical instructions easier to comprehend in their local language.

Autopay Feature Confusion:

Key Insight: Across all cohorts, participants misunderstood the term "Rozana Ki Bachat," believing it referred to a daily manual savings task. The absence of the word "Auto" confused users accustomed to automated systems.

Example: Amardeep initially thought, "I had to do daily savings manually,” until the clarification on autopay.

Trust and Technical Issues:

Key Insight: 55.5% of participants abandoned or cancelled usage due to issues related to trust and unclear terms in the vernacular. Mismatches between English and Hindi instructions further increased users' mistrust.

Example: Participants like Vaishali and Arvind faced difficulties understanding withdrawal limits, leading them to stop using the app.

Impact of Education and Digital Proficiency:

Key Insight: Lower education levels directly influenced the ability to understand financial terms. Those with higher educational backgrounds, like Arvind, were more likely to engage but felt that technical words should remain in English.

Example: Mukesh, a participant with a 5th-grade education, relied heavily on visuals and common Hindi words like "Bharosa" (trust), as complex Hindi words hindered his engagement.

Vernacular Insights

1. Increased Engagement with Vernacular Text

Some users found that using vernacular languages like Hindi made the app more accessible and relatable, leading to increased engagement with the content.

Insight: 55.5% of participants felt that engaging with written text increased when using vernacular languages as they could understand the content better. These users generally avoided reading content in English but found it easier to follow instructions in their native language.

Participant Quote:
Amardeep, 41, Firozpur: “The best thing was what you explained in Hindi. Like payment, saving means saving account. These are the things. Yes. It is written in English. It is also written in Hindi and below it is written to save, I liked that. No, it was better than the previous one.”
(He preferred the clarity and trust built by familiar Hindi terms and was more engaged as a result)​

2. Familiar Terms Drive Better Comprehension

The use of simple and familiar Hindi terms improved users' understanding, especially around financial concepts that could be intimidating in English.

Insight: Users found phrases like “Savings krna hua aasan” (savings made easy) intuitive and relatable, which improved their overall understanding of the app’s functionality.

Participant Quote:
Debraj, 27, Mumbai: “It's written welcome to JAR savings, Paytm, Google Pay, Phone Pay, 100% safe and secure payments. Yes, sir. You can make payment through any app and all are safe.”
(He found the onboarding text in Hindi more relatable and less intimidating, which increased trust in the app)​

3. Vernacular Onboarding Improves Trust and Retention

Users trusted the app more when onboarding was conducted in their local language, especially when vernacular language was used in critical moments like the setup of savings and autopay features.

Insight: Some participants expressed that using Hindi helped build trust, as they were more confident in understanding the terms and processes.

Participant Quote:
Amardeep, 41, Firozpur: “Saving krna hua aasan (savings made easy). It looks good to the next person that we are saving money this way.”
(He appreciated the simplicity of the Hindi terms and felt that others would benefit similarly from the language, improving trust and retention)

4. Overcoming Fear of Financial Jargon

For users with lower educational backgrounds or those unfamiliar with financial jargon in English, vernacular options helped bridge the comprehension gap.

Insight: Some participants, particularly those with lower education levels (66.6% had 12th-grade education or below), had difficulty understanding English terms like "Debit" or "Credit." Using Hindi terms during onboarding made these concepts clearer for them.

Participant Quote:
Vaishali, 26, Mahu (Indore): “I use it every day, but I cannot seem to withdraw. It says you can withdraw, but I couldn’t understand it in English. In Hindi, it became clearer for me.”
(Switching to Hindi helped clarify processes like withdrawals, which users previously found confusing)

5. Vernacular Language Builds Confidence in Using the App

Users, especially those from semi-urban or rural backgrounds, were more confident when interacting with the app in their native language. This confidence resulted in higher user engagement, as they were less likely to fear making mistakes.

Insight: Vernacular language significantly increased confidence during the setup of autopay and daily savings features. Hindi terms that closely aligned with users' daily vocabulary helped reduce the anxiety of using a financial app.

Participant Quote:
Suman, 32, Udaipur: “Yes, I did it for the first time. There was an option for daily savings. I understood it better in Hindi.”
(Suman had more confidence in using the app when it was explained in Hindi, leading to a successful setup of autopay)​

6. Preference for Vernacular Over Hinglish

While most users preferred a blend of Hindi and English (Hinglish), there was a clear indication that using vernacular languages alone was more helpful in enhancing understanding, particularly when it came to complex financial actions.

Insight: Participants who selected pure Hindi during onboarding reported a better understanding than those who chose Hinglish. The mix of languages often confused users, especially for critical financial terms, making pure vernacular content more effective.

Participant Quote:
Khanaram, 25, Male, Hindi: “I prefer Hindi over Hinglish. It makes it easier to understand financial terms. When it’s in Hinglish, it feels like it’s incomplete or confusing.”
(Khanaram had better comprehension with pure Hindi compared to the Hinglish mix, especially when dealing with savings and autopay)​

These insights clearly demonstrate that incorporating vernacular languages into the user experience not only makes the app easier to use but also builds trust, enhances engagement, and drives better comprehension, particularly for non-English speaking users.