Quality Design for the Poor
“Poor people can’t afford cheap things.”
When companies design products and services for the poor, they often think about making them as low-cost as possible. But whether you’re tapping a market opportunity or addressing a social need, it’s important to realize that people living in poverty value quality design. Quality design doesn’t mean that goods and services need to cost more. Quality experiences meet people where they are, acknowledging such important factors as status, aspiration, and dignity.
Designing for the poor is more important now than ever before. It is the future of business growth, as multinationals and local companies are increasingly developing products and experiences that serve not only the upper classes but also the “bottom of the pyramid” — the 4 billion people worldwide living on less than $2 per day.
How can companies serve the legitimate needs of the poor not just for price but also for status, aspiration, and dignity?
Link:
http://patterns.ideo.com/issue/quality_design_for_the_poor/ PDF:
http://patterns.ideo.com/images/uploads/pdf/patterns_vol3_qual_design_final.pdf
