Slides from my presentation at Design by Fire cafe' - on the 18th of November 2013 (http://designbyfire.nl/cafe/030). AirBnb, Skype, Nintendo Wii, Netflix, Tata Nano,… Recent evolutions in technologies are fostering new services and experiences, which shake incumbent companies and business models. Of all contexts where this has happened, the most radical and disruptive is probably the African one. Despite the many challenges — dumbphones instead of smartphones, low literacy level, scarcity of PCs — we have seen innovation flourish in the past few years. Starting with the creation of services for underserved populations and niches of people who don't use the typical or current solutions. Showcasing some of the most innovative start-ups in the African continent, Franco presented some of challenges of designing products and services when driven by impact rather than features. He also reflected on the learnings and how these can be applied to user experience projects for products in European contexts.

1. Designing impactful experiences,
starting with non-users
Franco Papeschi
Service Designer, Social Innovator
#30

2. Mobile Entrepreneurship Labs
People with
passion,
ideas
and a bit of dev/biz skills
Mobile start-ups

3. Get out of the building
Research current troubles and workarounds
3

4. Living labs approach
Co-creation engaging local communities
4

5. Contextual enquiries
Investigate tools and practices of potential
users; understand motivations.
5

6. Concept development
Individual work and team efforts to come up
with solutions which are not the tried and
tested (and ineffective) ideas that come on
top of everybody’s mind

7. Testing, of course
Paper prototypes, the best human invention
since Post-its ® and Sharpies ®
7

8. Coding sessions
HTML, CSS, javascript, PHP, and so on…

9. Experiments
Micro-pilots, technology probes, beta
versions of key features.
9

10. Business model
experimentation
Prototyping their way to revenue streams
10

12. Performance
Disruptive innovation
Pace of
technological
progress
Sustaining
innovation
leaps
What people
can use it for
Disruptive
innovation
leaps
Time

13. Performance
Disruptive innovation
Time

14. Disruptive innovation in Africa

16. MPESA - Kenya
80 %
20 %
Has bank
account
Doesn’t have a
bank account
Saving money, protecting money from thief / loss,
repaying loans, paying bills, transfer money home

17. Money transfer
and payments for
the un-banked
17

18. At m:lab East Africa

22. Eneza Education
IMPACT: increase rate of higher education in Africa
ADOPTION: feedback loop student-teacher
ADOPTION: practice and earn confidence

23. Key aspects of
disruptive innovations

24. 1
Focus on people who lack
skills, access, money or time
to use current solutions

25. 2
Identify ‘jobs-to-be-done’
which trigger adoption and
foster the desired impact

26. 3
Design a minimum viable
product: cheaper, simpler, fits
into the ecosystem

27. What to do?

28. Focus on
extremes
Become the advocate of
the non-users, just for
once.

30. Find the *real*
jobs-to-be-done
What are the functional, emotional,
social problems we are trying to solve?

31. future-proof.
In three
years time,
it will still
be good.”
MY BUYING CRITERIA
MY GOALS
Human
interaction
End goal
Cutting edge
Impulse
To have a competitive
advantage.
Quality
Price
Value for
money
Experience goal
To feel like an entrepreneur.
Seduction &
incentives
Brand
Hands-on
Reliability
Service &
after sales
Future proof &
compatability
Features &
functionality
Recommendations
Aesthetics
& design
ATTITUDE
Image
I AM A 34 YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL PRINTER
IN A SMALL COMPANY
I have to confess that I absolutely love
technology. I have the best job in the world
which is to source and buy cutting-edge
products. I spend ages online looking
for new products, services and suppliers.
The thing I worry about most is remaining
competitive and effective in the market.
Characteristics
When I buy for the business I am willing
to take a risk buying an unfamiliar product
• Monitoring recent technological
that I think can help me create a niche. If
developments
the need arises I will make buying decisions
• Pro-active
very quickly and worry later about the
product performance. To make sure I can
• Tech savvy and curious about technology
do this and still maintain a reliable business • Hands-on
I have to maintain a close relationship with
Being innovative and inspired by
my suppliers.I am invited (and go to) trade •
technology
shows and symposia. It tends to be the
manufacturers who invite me.
I am always looking for new ways to
interest and keep my clients and prevent
them from going next door. Recently I
added web design to the range of services I
offer; I have even hired in-house designers. I expect my suppliers to know what they
We also print on advertising tokens.
are talking about. I depend on their
technical expertise and recommendations.
If one of my clients wants something we
I want to be informed about the latest
don’t do in-house, I will be more than
products and I expect my suppliers to
willing to outsource rather than have my
do just that. They should also send me
client go elsewhere.
samples that I can test so I am ready to
introduce the products to my clients.
MY RESEARCH SOURCES
Most important source
Manufacturer’s
websites
Retailers
websites
Community
websites
Catalogues
Newsletters
Demos
Knowledgeable
friends
Web
Comparisons
websites
Blogs
Independent
shops
Offline
Friends
Suppliers
Independent
shops
People
Leaflets
Staff in store
Peers
Forums
Reviews
websites
High Street
shops
Colleagues
Specialist
magazines
Other sources used
Samples
Business
directories
Suppliers
Where the
product is
available
Buys
from
Suppliers
Wherever
is the
cheapest
WHAT KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT…
…is competition, service and compatibility: will I need to train the staff/client? Will I have an immediate customer service?
Will I be able to use it immediately with my current equipment?

32. Go beyond
co-creation
Make things as fast as possible. Pursue
the riskiest assumptions first, and make
those parts of the experience tangible
sooner than the rest.

33. Prototype & test
many business
models
Pricing, customer support, partners,
organisational processes are part of
the design solution.
Don’t discard them just because you
can’t wireframe it.

34. Innovation project
never ends
Experiments get repeated and learning
is continuous. It’s not about handingover a report: help make the machine
that builds the product

35. Thanks
Franco Papeschi
Service Designer, Social Innovator, Start-up advisor
franco.papeschi@gmail.com
+31 6 11 83 17 35
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