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Project Overview

This case study documents the redesign of the mobile recharge flow in the MyJio app for two specific user groups: one-handed users and elderly users. The project was undertaken as part of a Design for Accessibility & Inclusivity course, with the goal of making the recharge experience truly usable for users who are currently underserved by the existing interface.

"Situational disability affects all of us. A broken arm, a commute, a sleeping baby, these are the same design problem as a permanent motor impairment."

— Inclusive Design principle, Microsoft

"Situational disability affects all of us. A broken arm, a commute, a sleeping baby, these are the same design problem as a permanent motor impairment."

— Inclusive Design principle, Microsoft

Why These Two User Groups?

The Problem

The MyJio recharge flow was designed for two-handed, digitally fluent users. It places interactive elements across the full screen height, presents multiple simultaneous choices and uses small touch targets making it unreliable for one-handed users who cannot reach across the screen and frustrating for elderly users who struggle with precision tapping and cognitive overload from too many options at once.

"Situational disability affects all of us. A broken arm, a commute, a sleeping baby, these are the same design problem as a permanent motor impairment."

— Inclusive Design principle, Microsoft

"Situational disability affects all of us. A broken arm, a commute, a sleeping baby, these are the same design problem as a permanent motor impairment."

— Inclusive Design principle, Microsoft

Design Goal

Design a guided, assisted recharge experience that:

Research & Discovery

Understanding One-Handed Phone Use

One-handed phone use is far more common than most designers account for. Research from Google's Material Design team found that approximately 49% of users hold their phone in one hand with thumb-only interaction. For permanent one-handed users, this is the only mode of use.

The Thumb Zone

Understanding Elderly User Needs

Elderly users face a distinct set of physical and cognitive challenges when using touch interfaces:

Heuristic Evaluation of the Existing Flow

Visibility of System Status: Current active plan is visible user knows what they have before selecting a new one. Good baseline for status visibility

Visibility of System Status: No progress indicator across any screen. User doesn't know where they are in the flow.

Recognition Rather Than Recall: Payment screen shows only ₹200, plan details are gone. User must remember what they selected.

Error Prevention: The user goes straight to payment. No confirmation

User Personas

To ground the research findings in real human context, two composite personas were developed from the patterns identified above. Each represents a recurring profile within the target user groups rather than a single individual, and is used throughout the design process to pressure-test decisions against a concrete set of needs and frustrations.

User Flow Analysis

Mapping all possible recharge plans

The existing recharge flow was mapped in full from the observed screens. Six distinct entry paths were identified, each leading to the same payment destination through different routes:

The complexity of this branching structure paths, many of which overlap but are presented as separate options is one of the primary sources of confusion for elderly users and increases the number of taps required for one-handed users.

Thumb Zone Audit of Existing Screens

Each screen in the existing flow was audited for the location of primary interactive elements relative to the thumb zone:

Design Solution: Bot-Assisted Guided Recharge

Design Concept

The proposed solution introduces a conversational bot interface within the existing bottom-sheet recharge modal. The bot guides the user one question at a time, using large tappable chips as the only interaction method. No typing is required at any point.

1. Everything within thumb reach: all interactive elements stay in the lower 60% of the bottom sheet, within the natural thumb arc of a one-handed grip.

2. One question at a time: the bot never shows more than one decision simultaneously, reducing cognitive load for elderly users and reducing the number of elements on screen that demand attention.

"Situational disability affects all of us. A broken arm, a commute, a sleeping baby, these are the same design problem as a permanent motor impairment."

— Inclusive Design principle, Microsoft

"Situational disability affects all of us. A broken arm, a commute, a sleeping baby, these are the same design problem as a permanent motor impairment."

— Inclusive Design principle, Microsoft

The Bot Flow: Step by Step

Layout Decisions

Wireframes

Key Takeaways

Inclusive design benefits everyone.
Full-width elements improve accessibility
Fewer options reduce cognitive load
Better reach leads to better usability
Designing for edge cases improves the overall experience
Accessibility enhances, not compromises, usability

Inclusive design benefits everyone.
Full-width elements improve accessibility
Fewer options reduce cognitive load
Better reach leads to better usability
Designing for edge cases improves the overall experience
Accessibility enhances, not compromises, usability