We identify opportunity spaces and define new products and services that can add value and enhance lives, not simply plug the gaps of unmet needs. Needs and wants are so many that every decision to spend money is a trade off on the risks of a return of maximum value. How and where can we […]
We were tasked to assess the market and value the opportunity space for our client Village Telco, a social enterprise start up whose mission is to enable affordable access to voice and data communications in challenging environments. Since their intended target audience was to be cyber cafes (internet cafes) and this industry is very much […]
The African consumer market is unique and challenging. Informal markets where transactions are primarily in cash dominate the landscape. Connected consumers demand the best in the world yet infrastructural challenges and lack of market services create a vacuum of information. Observing user needs for product and service design is not enough, the entire ecosystem must […]
Deep dive immersion into rural household energy market in East Africa. Market trends, competitive analysis, pricing and consumer purchasing patterns were observed and documented for solar lamp manufacturer with extensive distribution network but poor sales. Synthesis and assessment of company’s consumer facing behaviour identified gaps in distribution, retail channels and customer awareness activities. Strategic recommendations […]
When we’re looking at an entirely new and different operating environment from that which we’re immersed in, exploratory user research allows us to map the landscape, understand the local context and conditions, and identify potentials for innovation. It is after this understanding phase that we can select promising opportunity spaces to explore further or decide […]
The human centered approach for solution development is an iterative observation and learning process that informs and inspires innovation from the perspective of people and their lives as opposed to the ‘spaghetti on the wall’ hit or miss approach. We decided to unpack the common UCD process into a simplified linear diagram only for clarity […]
