Billions of users are still coming online. Here’s how to design for them

Building technology for everyone requires more than just airlifting products that have worked in the West.

In a small town in India, Swati runs a popcorn and peanuts kiosk. She doesn’t trust banks, so she saves cash and buys supplies on credit. Every week, she makes a hefty interest payment to her suppliers without knowing how much of that loan she still has to pay off. She tried using smartphones to allow customers to pay her via QR code, but her uncertainty about the process and a few cases of fraud scared her off.  Like many aspiring to a more prosperous future for their families, Swati dreams of expanding her shop and opening a factory. But due to limited formal banking history and lack of confidence navigating digital financial services, people in Swati’s position find their options limited.And her story is the story of a billion others living in emerging markets.Every week, around the world, millions come online for the first time. Of all the experiences these new users face, financial services are among the most complex and high-risk.

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