Exploring the feasibility of video mail for illiterate users

Abstract

We present work that explores whether the asynchronous peer-to-peer communication capabilities of email can be made accessible to illiterate populations in the developing world. Building on metaphors from traditional communication systems such as postal mail, and relevant design principles established by previous research into text-free interfaces, we designed and evaluated a prototype asynchronous communication application built on standard email protocols. We considered different message formats -- text, freeform ink, audio, and video + audio -- and via iterative usage and design sessions, determined that video + audio was the most viable. Design alternatives for authentication processes were also explored. Our prototype was refined over three usability iterations, and the final version evaluated in a two-stage study with 20 illiterate users from an urban slum in Bangalore, India. Our results are mixed: On the one hand, the results show that users can understand the concept of video mail. They were able to successfully complete tasks ranging from account setup to login to viewing and creating mail, but required assistance from an online audio assistant. On the other hand, there were some surprising challenges such as a consistent difficulty understanding the notion of asynchronicity. The latter suggests that more work on the paradigm is required before the benefits of email can be brought to illiterate users.