Design Research for Emerging Markets

Design Research

for

Emerging Markets

Andrew Harder

@thevagrant

Me

Relevant, Beautiful and Successful

Why do emerging markets matter?

Growth

GDP growth, 1991 – 2011. Source: World Bank via google.com/publicdata

New consumers

Rama Bijapurkar

Enormous

infrastructure

improvements

Perfect conditions for disruptive

innovations

Why do emerging markets matter?

Design may be described as creativity deployed to a

specific end

George Cox, UK Design Council

Design is the translation of social need

Kat Gough

Why do emerging markets matter?

The question therefore isn't so much 'what is design and

why does it matter?' but 'how can I use good design to

make the world around me better?'

UK Design Council

Why do emerging markets matter?

The question therefore isn't so much 'what is design and

why does it matter?' but 'how can I use good design to

make the world around me better?'

The Design Council

The improving mentality

The Albert Memorial, Kensington Gardens

“Must we not then… endeavour to

raise these wretched beings out of

their present miserable condition?”

Source: Empire Marketing Board

Source: Empire Marketing Board

Source: Empire Marketing Board

"The Great Improvers"

"The Great Improvers"

Colonial errors:

I know what they need

They need our help

They need help with basic survival

Fallacy 1: They need our help

“If we stop thinking of the poor as

victims or as a burden and start

recognising them as resilient and

creative entrepreneurs and value-

conscious consumers, a whole

new world of opportunity will open

up”

CK Prahalad

Commercial companies can’t help

they wanted to create a sanitation product people would be happy to buy but that also improves people’s health

1: Emerging Market Consumers are

demanding and have alternatives.

We should be so lucky to get a slice of

their wallet

1: How may I be of service?

FROG SLIDE

Research notes

1. Text-based UIs are not suitable for illiterate users

2. Abstract metaphors like envelope for SMS are unsuitable

3. Instead, physical interface elements like

dials, exaggerated buttons and information gauges are

familiar

4. Mechanical world metaphors are more intuitive in this

context

5. Most technology in rural India separates controls from

information

6. Reselling and repair is common

7. Vast majority of phone's features are untouched by non-

literate users, creating a bloated feature set

Creative Direction - SteampunkSteampunk reflects the design and craftsmanship of the Victorian eraRemove the aesthetic of "preciousness" to invite tinkering and exploration

Me

Fallacy 2: They need basic products

Fallacy 2: Their needs are defined by what

they lack

What is needed?

Ways to manage illiteracy

Help repairing and maintaining devices

Simple features

Technology that feels appropriate and familiar

View the Tata Nano video on my blog at

http://www.andrewharder.com

2: Address desire, not just needs

2: Celebrate Awesomeness

Aspiration: Not dreaming, doing.

Fallacy 3: Cultures are frozen at a point

in time

3: The world plays out in real time

3: We live in multiple cultures

Your users want to be smarter, sexier and

richer.

Help them.

The $2.3 trillion question

Your users want to be smarter, sexier and

richer.

Help them.

Andrew Harder

@thevagrant