UX14 - A Rural Indian Design Experience (Neel Shah)

Designing for the base of the pyramid comes with a deluge of constraints - Affordability, Accessibility and Awareness are only a few to start with. How to make a compelling offering that embraces all of these constraints?
The talk is about real life stories of energy poverty and everyday loss of opportunity from Mathura- the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Why does Arav Singh, in Bhankarpur Basela spend on sending his kids to private school and yet live his life in dark for several hours every night? What are his inhibitions in moving from dim, dangerous and dirty kerosene lamps to a better energy solution? What offering would help him get past these inhibitions?
The talk outlines challenges faced in developing a solar home system offering for rural India and how Simpa Networks embraced these challenges by systems thinking and application of user-centric design not just in its product but also through its service commitments and an innovative business model.

Transcript

1. A rural Indian design experience - Neel Shah, Simpa Networks
2. Welcome to Mathura
3. Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.
4. Reaching Bhankarpur Basela, Raya, Mathura
5. Arav Singh and his family
6. Arav Singh and his family
7. What are his options to change his situation?
8. What are his options to change his situation?
9. What he uses instead And why?
10. No value for money alternatives available in the market He is afraid to try something new. What if solar doesn’t work? Who will service him if the product breaks down? Will only buy from someone whom he can trust Cash for an expensive product all at once is difficult to manage
11. Pay-as-you go solar answers all of these questions
12. Pay-as-you go solar answers all of these questions
13. The impact made in Sangeeta Devi’s life
14. The impact made in Sangeeta Devi’s life
15. The impact made in Atul Kumar’s life
16. The impact made in Atul Kumar’s llife
17. Over 3,000 families have adopted this solution in less than a year. Many more are following Imagine the Impact