A case study in Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso

1. DESIGNING ON MARS
The participatory technique of Technology
Probes: a case study in Burkina Faso
Create11, London | June 23rd 2011

2. GIOVANNI INNELLA
giovanni.innella@gmail.com | @giovanninnella
VALENTINA NISI
valentina.nisi@gmail.com
FRANCO PAPESCHI
franco.papeschi@gmail.com | @bobbywatson

3. INTERNET
HERE
3

4. GDP
204 th
/227
$1,200 per capita
Burkina Faso
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/
http://www.freedomhouse.org/

5. Employment rate
197 th
/227
77% unemployed
Burkina Faso
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/
http://www.freedomhouse.org/

6. Life expectancy
203 rd
/227
53 years
Burkina Faso
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/
http://www.freedomhouse.org/

7. Population below poverty line
46,4%
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/
http://www.freedomhouse.org/

8. 8

14. WHY INTERNET, THEN?

15. Immediate Long term

16. Immediate MEDIUM TERM Long term

17. READ WRITE WEB

18. http://www.baekdal.com/design/Cool-
Objects/brix/
TECHNOLOGY MEDIATES
CULTURE,
CULTURE MEDIATES
TECHNOLOGY

19. GET STARTED

20. WHERE:
Ouahigouya (Burkina Faso)
WHO:
20 locals between 18-40 with basic
familiarity with computer
WHAT:
Teach Internet and explore the impact
on people’s daily lives
FOR HOW LONG:
About 2 months

21. FROM THEORY

22. TO HANDS-ON

23. “WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH
THIS?”

24. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH
GOOGLE MAPS?

26. Provide visitors of a
map

27. Provide visitors of a Tour guides through
map mobile

28. What did we learn from this?
Reveal hidden layer of location-based information,
waiting to be surfaced
Create new set of services, based on the involvement of
local people through a digital layer
Disclose cultural elements:
some people have the role of keeping information,
through oral storytelling

29. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH
SKYPE?

30. Combine Skype
contact with drum

31. Combine Skype Sell product + contact
contact with drum

32. Combine Skype Sell product + contact Skype lessons
contact with drum

34. Why is this good:
For participants it was a more practical way of learning, and
a chance to generate concepts of services and micro-
businesses that would make sense into their lives.
For us their ideas, were effective ways to gather insights
about the local culture/context.
The information gathered was usually pertinent to the
specific technology introduced and its application there.

35. TECHNOLOGY PROBES

36. Technology probes
PARTICIPANT FACILITATOR
1 GET TO KNOW THE TOOL PRESENT THE TOOL
2 ABSORB
FACILITATE CONCEPT
GENERATION
3 GENERATE POTENTIAL USES INTERPRET

37. TECHNOLOGY CULTURAL
PROBES PROBES
Draw future scenarios Describe the present
Depict yourself through change Depict yourself through
normality
Disruption
Continuation

38. SO, WHAT?!?

39. DON’T TEACH, MAKE!
People are more interested when they practice and
have some autonomy

40. LET THEM DESIGN
Concepts reveal people’s culture, needs and dreams
much more than a focus group

41. MISUSING IS DESIGNING
Facilitate tinkering beyond what is proposed

42. ANYBODY LEARNING SOMETHING
IS A POTENTIAL TEACHER
Create a core of people that can evolve
into a community over time

43. THANKS
GIOVANNI INNELLA VALENTINA NISI
giovanni.innella@gmail.com Valentina.nisi@gmail.com