Understanding phones and toilet instructions without being able to read….
I changed the language of my phone today into one I do not understand. This new language uses Latin characters so I can figure out the meaning of a few words. But it is thanks to the icons really that I can still use my phone (since I am using a smart phone with icons for every function). Some icons though - now that they are much more important for understanding the functionality of the product rather than just serving as decorative elements - are not helpful at all. What does an icon with a pink flower mean in relation to something you can do on a phone? Or the yellow sun flower? Or a red dot on a black background? This phone is still designed by supposedly some of the best designers in the world, developed by a brand well known for its focus on usability. I am clicking these icons to try to discover what they are about. One click away I find more easily understood icons or buttons for some of them, but for other icons the mystery remains, since I cannot understand the headings and the text.
Why am I doing this experiment? I am trying to see what it would be like to be illiterate. I want to remind myself what it is like. 
I also think back of the time I arrived in Seoul for the first time without being able to read – or speak – any word of Korean. I felt quite silly when I did not even know how to flush the toilet, because of four different buttons with unrecognisable signs. Yep - I sure did select the wrong button and sprayed my suit and the walls and floor of the ladies room ahead of my first business meeting!
To design a product well for someone who is not able to read will require a lot of creative thinking. And a lot of testing, since it seems incredibly difficult to get it right. In this month’s Spotlight I have interviewed companies which are designing products and communications for illiterate users. Read some of their insights here.
Do you work for, or know of, a company that is designing products and communications material for illiterate users - post a comment here! We would love to add more good examples.