Designing for the Bottom Billion

Alvin SinghEmerging Markets in Digital Media

December 2009

Adapt

Mobile phone charger!

“The majority of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10% of the world’s customers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90%.”

—Dr. Paul Polak, International Development Enterprises

Global Stats

1.6 Billion people live without electricity

80% of the world live under $10 a DAY

Over 9 million people die each year of hunger. 5 million are CHILDREN

2 Billion people live on small farms

West vs. WorldThink outside

the western box

Mobile phones vs. laptops

Individual vs. Collective

COMMUNICATION

CommunicationChina has 700 million mobile phone subscribers

India -15.6 million mobile phone subscribers per month as of March, 2009

United Nations found that mobile phones are closing the digital divide between rich and poor nation providing a new market of Internet users

In the developing world mobile phones are the most affordable option versus landlines

Africa has past North American mobile phone users at 300 million subscribers

Design a income generating tool capable of at least paying for itself in one year

MOTIVATIONS

Motivation

Challenge conventional methods of donating people out of poverty

Listen.Learn.Design.

Teach a (wo)man how to fish

Grameen Foundation- AppLab received a $4.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support Community Knowledge Worker Project in Uganda

Develop mobile applications for information on health, agriculture, weather and market intel

$25 Treadle Pump to poor farmers helped increase their families in return providing income for their families

M- PESA Money Transfer in Kenya

“A slum is a beehive of grass root enterprises”- Paul Polak

Work with a mobile entrepreneur

Live with a family

What are their behaviors

Design for 90%Are ethnic, racial or tribal distinctions important in this community?

Are communities divided along class or income?

How might gender inequality affect your research or design?

What are the issues?HEALTH

EDUCATION

TRANSPORTATION

SHELTER

WATER

ENERGY

Design for 90%Design a income generating tool capable of at least paying for itself in one year.If the ipod was developed from the $5 transistor radio then we can design products to be attractive to dollar-a-day customersWithout a revolutionary way of thinking & practice within the development community, businesses, & the bottom billion---Poverty will never end.Viewing developing nations as a untapped base ready for new opportunities -- we will see faster and more measurable results

“Digital Starbucks”

CREDITS

Out of Poverty” - Paul Polak

Design for the other 90%

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