Why this matters
Many people in Ghana use older or low cost Android phones with small screens, little storage and limited memory, and many still use basic phones with no internet at all. Mobile money, airtime and many banking and farm services reach them through USSD codes and SMS. Product designers at fintech and telecom companies may design these channels too, and some mobile money product roles include USSD work. If you only design for new smartphones, you design for only part of the market.
Designing for low end smartphones
- Small screens. Design first for narrow screens, around 360 pixels wide, and check smaller ones. Keep the main action visible without scrolling.
- Little storage. People delete apps to free space. A small app, or a light web app that needs no install, is more likely to stay.
- Limited memory and older systems. Heavy animations, large images and long lists slow phones down.
- Battery and brightness. People often keep brightness low to save battery, so strong contrast matters even more.
- Shared phones. Think about privacy: hide balances by default, ask for a PIN before showing sensitive information, and let people log out easily.
Designing for USSD
USSD is the menu you reach by dialling a code that starts with a star and ends with a hash. It works on any mobile phone, with no data. But it has strict limits: