Abstract:
In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, mobile applications have become essential tools for Micro,
Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in rapidly growing urban. These mobile
applications facilitate critical business operations, including customer engagement, inventory
management, marketing, and overall service delivery. However, a significant number of mobile solutions
deployed in MSME sector fail to meet user expectations due to minimal end-user involvement in the
design and development processes. This study explores the user centric factors that influence the
development, usability, and adoption of mobile applications among MSMEs. It highlights the pressing
need for a user centred design approach that aligns mobile solutions with the unique operational realities
of MSMEs. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study combines a systematic review of
scholarly literature with empirical findings gathered from a qualitative study conducted in a related City
of Jinja. In Uganda Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and observation targeting MSME
owners, employees, and key stakeholders in mobile application development. Findings reveal that critical
user centric factors, such as active user participation during mobile application development, cultural and
contextual relevance, intuitive usability, affordability, and access to technical support, play a pivotal role
in determining the success in design, development, usability and adoption of mobile applications in the
MSME sector. Ultimately, this study contributes to ongoing efforts aimed improving on methodologies
and strategies utilized in developing user centric mobile applications for MSME
