Designing Usable Products for African Users

The African Product Resilience (APR) Framework™
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-08988-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis

Buch, Englisch, 262 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 480 g

Designing Usable Products for African Users: The African Product Resilience (APR) Framework™ dismantles the flawed practice of copying Western design models for African markets. The book introduces the African Product Resilience (APR) Framework™, providing actionable steps to engineer technology specifically for adversity. It includes real-world case studies, expert insights, and practical checklists covering data efficiency, offline functionality, and hyper-local customization. The framework highlights four core pillars: digital access, trust, digital literacy, and sociocultural context.

The target readers are founders, product managers, designers, researchers, software engineers, and global strategy teams aiming to properly reach the continent and its people. It also serves investors and VCs evaluating a startup’s market fit and long-term sustainability in Africa.

Readers will learn how to create resilient, inclusive products that thrive despite severe infrastructural constraints, such as expensive data, inconsistent power, and low-end shared devices. They will discover how to earn user trust in low-trust environments and avoid costly product failures caused by cultural blind spots. Ultimately, the book empowers tech teams to scale efficiently across diverse African markets without wasting resources, turning systemic constraints into competitive advantages.

Zielgruppe

Professional Reference

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sobowale, Iwalola

Tawak, Lade

Omitogun, Hillary

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Design Produktdesign, Industriedesign
• Mathematik | Informatik EDV | Informatik Informatik Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion User Interface Design & Benutzerfreundlichkeit

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part 1: Foundations, Chapter 1: Africa as a Fertile Ground for Innovation, Chapter 2: A Primer on the African Context, Part 2: The APR in context, Chapter 3: Building Mobile-First for African Contexts, Chapter 4: Building for Limited Digital Connectivity, Chapter 5: Building for Sociocultural Context, Chapter 6: Building Trust in Digital Products, Part 3: Looking Forward, Chapter 7: The Unique Challenges and Solutions for User Research in Africa, Chapter 8: The Future of Design in Africa, Appendix: Voices of African Product Resilience, Glossary

Über Autor(innen)

Iwalola Sobowale is an executive leader in Research and Strategy, and founder of Usability for Africa. With 13+ years bridging customer insights and business value, she builds high-growth products through embedded research. A speaker at World Usability Day Africa 2024 and ESOMAR Africa in Focus 2026, her publications include “From NPS to Action” and Designing Usable Products for African Users. Her work drives user adoption, retention, and product-market fit across emerging markets.

Lade Tawak is a problem solver and creator working across UX, Product, and AI. Through Limen Labs she provides research, consulting, and coaching. Working globally, she connects people and businesses with the insights and strategic expertise needed to unlock value and achieve goals. With over 10 years of experience, she helps businesses at thresholds and in transition to discover the answers and actions that create success. She is also an international speaker, writer, and community builder.

Hillary Omitogun is a Senior UX Researcher, strategist, and community builder whose work sits at the intersection of human behavior, complex systems, and business decision-making. Professionally, she has worked across financial services, fintech, and consumer technology, leading research on high-stakes journeys and compliance-heavy flows. Hillary is also the founder of HerSynergy Tribe, a professional community built to support the growth of mid-senior career women across EMEA.