The Influence of UI/UX Design on User Engagement in Mobile E-Commerce Applications

Abstract—The rapid growth of mobile e-commerce has intensified competition among platforms, making user engagement an important factor for sustained business performance. Because users can switch easily between similar applications and design resources are limited, it is urgent to know which design qualities keep users engaged, a question that also relates to SDG 9 (technological innovation and digital inclusion through mobile technology) and SDG 8 (economic growth). This study examines the influence of four User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design dimensions Usability, Visual Design, Navigation Quality, and System Performance & Responsiveness on User Engagement in mobile e-commerce applications among young Indonesian users. Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design, primary data were collected from 118 valid respondents through an online questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS. The measurement model showed satisfactory convergent validity and reliability, although discriminant validity between Usability and Navigation Quality was a concern (HTMT = 0.896). Structural model results show that the four predictors jointly explain 47.1% of the variance in User Engagement (R² = 0.471). Among the four hypothesized relationships, only Visual Design exhibited a statistically significant positive effect on User Engagement (β = 0.346, t = 2.768, p = 0.006); Usability, Navigation Quality, and System Performance & Responsiveness were positively related but not statistically significant. These findings suggest that, among this sample of mostly young and experienced respondents who primarily use Shopee, visual appeal was the only statistically significant predictor of engagement, while functional design dimensions may instead function as baseline expectations. Because the predictors are correlated and the sample is small, these findings are tentative; implications for theory and design practice are discussed.