Super APP & SDK
Written by Jacinthe Busson, Co-founder & CPO at Fastory, based on her research and observations on mobile ecosystems, UX and Super Apps.
Mobile UX is usually discussed through familiar concepts: usability, navigation, conversion, engagement, accessibility and performance.
But there is another variable product teams cannot ignore:
the human body itself.
As smartphones become one of the primary interfaces through which people communicate, pay, work, shop and consume content, our relationship with screens is becoming increasingly intensive.
At the same time, myopia is increasing worldwide, with particularly high prevalence across East Asia.
This raises an interesting question for mobile product design:
What happens when visual limitations stop being edge cases and become characteristics shared by a significant proportion of users?
The answer goes beyond accessibility settings.
It forces us to reconsider how interfaces accommodate real human capabilities — and limitations.
Myopia is becoming a global phenomenon
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is already extremely common in many parts of the world.
The phenomenon is particularly visible across East Asia, where prevalence among children and young adults has reached very high levels in several countries and regions.
Research increasingly points to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Long periods of near-work, limited time outdoors and changing lifestyles have all been studied as potential contributors to the development and progression of myopia.
China has responded to the issue not only as a healthcare challenge, but increasingly as a digital one.
That matters for product designers.
Because when a significant part of a population experiences visual limitations, accessibility can no longer be considered a niche requirement.
It becomes part of mainstream product design.
Mobile interfaces operate within human limits
A smartphone screen creates a very particular interaction environment.
It is small.
It is held at relatively close range.
It is frequently used while moving.
Lighting conditions constantly change.
Notifications interrupt attention.
And interactions often need to be completed in seconds.
This means that mobile interfaces are not simply smaller versions of desktop interfaces.
They operate under different physical and cognitive constraints.
Text that appears elegant in a design tool may be uncomfortable to read repeatedly.
A subtle contrast may look sophisticated in a static mock-up but become difficult to distinguish outdoors.
A small touch target may appear perfectly usable with a mouse cursor but become frustrating when operated with one thumb.
And an interface that relies entirely on colour to communicate status can exclude users who perceive those colours differently.
Good mobile UX therefore begins with a simple principle:
design for the conditions in which people actually use the product, not the conditions in which the interface was designed.
Accessibility should not be treated as an edge case
Accessibility is still too often approached as a checklist added at the end of the design process.
Increase contrast.
Add labels.
Support screen readers.
Check font sizes.
These practices are important, but accessibility becomes much more powerful when it influences the architecture of the experience from the beginning.
For visually demanding mobile interfaces, several principles become particularly important:
readable typography;
sufficient contrast between text and background;
generous touch targets;
clear visual hierarchy;
meaningful spacing between interactive elements;
icons supported by text when their meaning is not obvious;
feedback that does not rely exclusively on colour;
support for operating-system accessibility settings.
None of these principles are specific to China.
They are examples of inclusive mobile design.
And as populations age and visual impairments become increasingly common, they become relevant to an even larger proportion of users.
Colour alone is not information
Colour is one of the most powerful tools available to interface designers.
It communicates hierarchy, status, urgency and brand identity extremely efficiently.
But it should rarely be the only way information is communicated.
For users with colour vision deficiencies, two states that appear obviously different to a designer may be difficult or impossible to distinguish.
A successful payment should therefore not be communicated only by turning an element green.
An error should not exist only as a red border.
An active navigation state should not depend exclusively on a colour change.
Text, icons, shapes, animation and other visual signals can reinforce meaning.
This creates redundancy.
And in interface design, redundancy can improve clarity.
The principle is simple:
If removing colour makes the interface impossible to understand, colour is carrying too much information.
Dark mode is useful — but it is not an accessibility strategy
Dark mode has become standard across many mobile operating systems and applications.
For some users and environments, it can make an interface more comfortable. It can also reduce screen luminance in low-light conditions and provide an alternative visual experience.
But dark mode should not be treated as a universal solution to visual fatigue.
Readability still depends on typography, contrast, spacing, screen brightness, viewing conditions and individual visual characteristics.
A poorly designed dark interface can be just as difficult to use as a poorly designed light one.
The broader lesson is more useful:
mobile interfaces need to adapt to users and contexts rather than assuming one visual configuration works for everyone.
China is also treating screen use as a system-level issue
China offers an interesting example of how concerns around digital usage can move beyond individual applications.
In November 2024, the Cyberspace Administration of China published guidelines for a nationwide Minor Mode covering mobile devices, applications and app distribution platforms.
The model was officially launched in April 2025.
Rather than asking each application to manage children's digital usage independently, the system connects the smartphone operating environment, applications and app stores.
The guidelines include recommended daily usage limits based on age, rest reminders and default restrictions during night-time hours. Parents can adjust these settings and grant exemptions.
The interesting point from a product perspective is not whether other countries should reproduce this regulatory model.
It is the architectural approach.
The device, operating environment and applications are treated as parts of the same digital experience.
This is another example of a recurring characteristic of China's mobile ecosystem: problems that might be addressed at application level elsewhere can sometimes be approached at ecosystem level.
Designing at eye level
The rise of mobile has changed more than interface design.
It has changed the physical relationship between humans and digital products.
We hold screens centimetres from our faces.
We interact with them hundreds of times throughout the day.
We use them outdoors, in transport, in stadiums, in shops, in bed and while walking.
Yet product design can still be evaluated primarily through pristine mock-ups displayed on large desktop monitors.
That creates a dangerous distance between design conditions and usage conditions.
Mobile UX should be evaluated where it actually exists:
in people's hands.
That means testing typography on real devices.
Testing contrast in different lighting conditions.
Testing interactions with one hand.
Testing interfaces with accessibility settings enabled.
Testing what happens when users are distracted.
Testing whether information remains understandable without colour.
And testing whether the interface remains usable for people whose vision, dexterity or attention differs from that of the people designing it.
Inclusive design is not about designing for minorities
One of the most persistent misconceptions about accessibility is that it benefits a small group of users.
In reality, human capabilities exist on a spectrum and change constantly.
Vision deteriorates with age.
A bright environment reduces screen readability.
A user may temporarily have only one hand available.
Someone interacting while walking has less precision than someone sitting at a desk.
A person watching an experience in a noisy stadium may not hear audio feedback.
A user under time pressure may process information differently from someone calmly exploring an interface.
Inclusive design therefore does not mean designing a compromised experience for everyone.
It means recognising that the "average user" is an abstraction.
Real users have different bodies, environments and constraints.
The next challenge for mobile UX is adaptation
As mobile ecosystems become more sophisticated, the challenge will not simply be to add more functionality.
It will be to make increasingly complex digital environments remain understandable and usable.
This is particularly relevant as applications evolve towards broader ecosystems combining content, payments, commerce, services and engagement.
The more functionality an interface contains, the more important visual hierarchy, accessibility and contextual adaptation become.
China's mobile ecosystem provides an interesting lens through which to observe these questions because of the scale and intensity of mobile usage.
But the lesson is universal.
Great mobile UX is not designed around an ideal user with perfect vision, perfect attention and perfect conditions.
It is designed around humans.
And humans have limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is inclusive mobile UX?
Inclusive mobile UX is the practice of designing mobile experiences that remain usable across a wide range of abilities, environments and contexts.
It considers factors such as vision, colour perception, motor precision, attention, device size and changing environmental conditions rather than assuming all users interact with an interface in the same way.
How does myopia affect mobile UX?
Myopia primarily affects distance vision rather than near vision, so it should not be treated as a direct explanation for specific mobile interface patterns.
However, the growing prevalence of visual impairments highlights a broader product-design issue: mobile interfaces need to accommodate diverse visual capabilities through readable typography, strong hierarchy, appropriate contrast and support for accessibility settings.
Is myopia caused by smartphones?
It would be inaccurate to say that smartphones alone cause myopia.
Myopia is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics and environmental conditions. Research has associated increased near-work and reduced time outdoors with myopia development, particularly among children.
Smartphone use forms part of a broader change in visual habits involving prolonged close-range activities.
What makes a mobile interface visually accessible?
Important considerations include readable text sizes, sufficient colour contrast, clear visual hierarchy, adequately sized touch targets, appropriate spacing and ensuring that important information is not communicated through colour alone.
Interfaces should also work with accessibility features provided by iOS and Android.
Why shouldn't mobile interfaces rely only on colour?
Users with colour vision deficiencies may struggle to distinguish states communicated exclusively through colour.
Combining colour with text, icons, shapes or other visual signals creates redundancy and makes information easier to understand for a broader range of users.
Is dark mode better for your eyes?
Not necessarily.
Dark mode can be more comfortable for some users and in some environments, particularly when reducing overall screen luminance is desirable. But it is not a universal solution for eye strain or accessibility.
Typography, contrast, brightness, viewing distance and environmental lighting remain important.
What is China's Minor Mode for mobile devices?
China's Minor Mode is a system designed to help manage how minors use mobile devices and digital services.
Guidelines published by the Cyberspace Administration of China in November 2024 established coordination between mobile devices, applications and app distribution platforms, including age-based recommended usage limits and time-management features.
The upgraded system was officially launched in April 2025.
Why is China's Minor Mode interesting from a UX perspective?
It illustrates an ecosystem-level approach to digital experience design.
Instead of placing responsibility entirely on individual applications, devices, apps and distribution platforms can coordinate their behaviour.
From a product perspective, it demonstrates how UX decisions can increasingly operate beyond the boundaries of a single application.
Why does accessibility matter for mobile engagement?
An interaction cannot create meaningful engagement if users struggle to read, understand or operate it.
Accessibility therefore affects more than compliance: it influences usability, completion, comprehension and ultimately the quality of the mobile experience.
As mobile products become richer and more interactive, inclusive design becomes increasingly important.
Sources & Further Reading
World Health Organization (WHO)
Myopia and other refractive errors.
Background information on refractive errors and visual impairment.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
International Myopia Institute (IMI)
Research and reports on the development, prevalence and management of myopia.
https://myopiainstitute.org/
Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)
Guidelines for the Construction of Minor Mode for the Mobile Internet, November 2024.
Official framework covering devices, applications, app distribution platforms, time management and age-based recommendations.
https://www.cac.gov.cn/2024-11/15/c_1733364304749288.htm
Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)
Mobile Internet Minor Mode Officially Launched, April 30, 2025.
Official announcement of the nationwide launch of the upgraded Minor Mode.
https://www.cac.gov.cn/2025-04/30/c_1747718890193706.htm
