How will UX help Digital India?

Digital India, one of the most talked about campaigns, aims at bringing a digital revolution in India. It has brought a huge change in customer behaviour — be it banking, online shopping, or communication, the change is visible now. But in a country as vast and diverse as India, going digital can be a major obstacle. Taking small steps in the direction is what the best solution is.

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Digital India and UX Design have to be seamlessly amalgamated. Smart UX creates meaningful products and services that are attuned to the best human experiences. When designing for the digital world, it is always about the experience rather than the actual product. The same holds true for Digital India campaign as well. Although it is a government campaign, designers need to keep in mind the needs of end users. You’re designing for user needs and not for government needs. Demographics and socio-economic background are two most important aspects to remember when aligning UX design services for government campaigns. Without effective UX in place, Digital India as a campaign would fail.

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The government has set high standards for the campaign aiming it to be able to revolutionize India. Now it is upon the new-age designers to take the mission forward with impeccable design solutions. I want to stress that Digital India not just focuses on design, but also on the overall experience. Passport Seva and Kotak 811 are some positive changes that the campaign has brought. It has become so easy to apply for passport online, and with Kotak 811 you can open a bank account in merely 10 minutes and start transactions. Now that’s what we call new-age Digital India.

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But there is still a long way to go. Websites like IRCTC, government banks like Syndicate Bank, and even obtaining Driver’s License lack the overall experience and its not user friendly at all.

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With the advent of technology, digital literacy is slowly seeing an increase. Students are encouraged to get to learn the basics in school which makes a huge difference. They teach their family members, especially older people. I’ve seen a lot of old people are also willing to adapt to this digital change. At every step, the one thing that pops up is how well the human experience is.

Demonetization was a major push towards Digital India. It encouraged an increasing number of people to start using e-wallets. For example, Paytm has become one of the most widely used e-wallets. It is used at various levels — by a cab driver, at a high-end grocery shop, and even at your local vegetable vendor. It is a proof that to unify a country as diverse as India, a brand needs to understand the values, emotions and aspirations of this vast populace.

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Another great example to show how the advent of digital India across various sections of people is Reliance Jio. From vegetable sellers to cab drivers, small businesses to young students, so many people are benefitting from the Digital India scheme of Reliance Jio. The cost effective rates have made it the largest internet service provider in India.

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As the digital literacy levels increase, the expectations from a well designed experience will also be on the rise. Making full use of this rising digital literacy and channeling it towards creating an enriched multi point experience is what should be the ultimate aim of designers who wish to make a contribution towards Digital India.

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