Published Paper Details:

In India, acceptance of technology is increasingly contingent upon whether interfaces communicate in the languages and visual grammars of their users. This research employs a comparative multiple-case methodology to analyse the impact of vernacular design on the adoption, persistence, and trust in regional-language applications catering to Hindi, Bengali, and Tamil users. The corpus utilizes interface artifact analysis, in-app string corpora, structured survey responses, India-specific app store reviews, and sectoral indicators. Dailyhunt, InShorts, ShareChat, Pratilipi, Koo, Lokal, and PhonePe are some of the main cases. Cross-case pattern matching connects vernacular design elements to perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness in the Technology Acceptance Model, as well as to social influence and facilitating conditions in UTAUT (Davis, 1989; Venkatesh et al., 2003; Yin, 2017; Eisenhardt, 1989). Results indicate that typography optimised for script legibility, localised numerals and calendars, culturally comprehensible iconography, and microcopy composed in colloquial registers diminish cognitive load and minimise code switching, thereby enhancing task success and user attitudes (Sweller, 1988; Norman, 2013). Voice input and mixed-script search reduce input friction for inflected or agglutinative forms, and error messages that follow polite language rules help people recover and build trust. The research enhances the concept of vernacular congruence as a precursor to acceptance, functioning through two mechanisms. Cognitive efficiency occurs when interaction patterns are congruent with users' scripts and literacy practices. Affective resonance occurs when tone, metaphors, and onboarding narratives are in line with how people in the area usually talk to each other. Because most new internet users in India don't speak English, these mechanisms are important for inclusive growth and for setting standards for accessibility policy, content governance, and interface design (Google & KPMG, 2017). The case synthesis elucidates the significance of vernacular design for acceptance and provides practical recommendations for product teams and regulators.