The global use of mobile app design is defined by a clear contrast: the rise of integrated super-apps in the East, which offer a wide range of functionalities in one ecosystem (2.1). Whereas the West prefer single-use applications that specialise in specific subjects. While consolidation may provide convenience, this structural model has encouraged user resistance in the West. This study will address the core digital challenge by conducting a desk-based study to determine Western user experience and satisfaction across these two very different app structures.
The super-app model removes app switching but also adds unavoidable design complexity with its UI. This study intends to look at consolidation clashes with Western Digital habits, while prioritising efficiency and minimal UI. Models like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) predict adoption based on usefulness (2.2), while Western markets show low Intention to Use. This indicates that functional barriers, such as increased cognitive load from feature creep and ongoing data trust concerns, are cancelling out the positives of integration (2.3).
The problem is cross-cultural, and the technology acceptance search lacks a clear framework that explains why adopted behaviour within both cultures feels so different. Existing models like TAM do not accurately predict Western user resistance, as they’re often based on Eastern contexts. This study aims to fill that gap by bringing together findings on usability, cognitive psychology and cultural differences. (2.4). The main goal is to develop a new model called the Adapted Western App Acceptance Model, which fills in the missing areas and offers a design-led framework for platforms looking to expand consolidated ecosystems into the ever-growing Western Market.
This study aims to develop a conceptual model that explains why Western users resist super-apps.
The primary research question is: How do Western users experience and perceive differences in usability and satisfaction between single-use apps and super-apps?
This study is desk-based because of time constraints. There wasn’t enough time to run a large scale survey and gather primary data, so using secondary sources was the most realistic option. The sources focus on user behaviour, usability and cultural factors. The findings draw on existing UX model structures to propose a new framework, but they do not include new evidence-based data to test it.
Going forward, Chapter 2 will set out the theory and identify the research gap. Chapter 3 explains the desk-based study. Chapter 4 focuses on comparative analysis and introduces The Adapted Western App Acceptance Model. Finally, Chapter 5 concludes the study and suggests directions for next steps for future research.
This chapter focuses on the foundation of the study. It begins by defining the ideal framework for super-apps, looking at how they evolved throughout time from single-use apps to consolidated ecosystems. It then introduces key models of UX, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), as a way of understanding why such apps are adopted. The chapter then looks at user cognitive load, examining challenges with feature creep. Finally, it ends by focusing on historical resistance within Western contexts and finding the research gap that this study aims to address.