design for base of the pyramid
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- lowimpakt
there has been so much discussion over the years about design for emerging markets/base of the pyramid. Some companies have better than others on the anthropology/sociology of emerging markets - Africa/India/China etc.
I was struct by today's story of Nokia releasing a new phone for the "poorer" regions.
The 1202 costs 25 Euros, standby time of 26 hours, can be shared with up to 5 people (multiple address books - pre-paid tracker) etc.
I think this is one of the most interesting and encouraging stories to come out in the mobile area for quite a while....
any thoughts? from a design/commercial/social perspective??
Nov. 4 press release - http://www.nokia.com/A4405105
- kezza_20
like it...
- anxiousarms0
i think what would be more interesting and encouraging to me is if instead of only giving such discounts to the poor that they just stop raking the rest of us over the coals with massive price gouging.
if anything it makes me think, fuck you nokia, i work hard for my money and i still don't have much of it. why can't i get a discount and a better product?
- lowimpakt0
^ interesting view - how do you relate the value/cost of your phone? do you know how much you should be paying or do you just want to pay less?
This relative values issue is essential to design.
Again, Nokia have picked up on this through the 5 dollar site - http://fivedollarcomparison.org/…
- lowimpakt0
no, i don't work for nokia
- anxiousarms0
i dunno, it's mostly the double standard that bothers me. why do i get charged more for NOT being poor. i live in new york city where everyone and their grandma' is panhandling instead of just getting a job. i know that nokia is doing this more for impoverished countries than the homeless in nyc but the principal still remains that if they just reduced price gouging in general they wouldn't have to make special products just for the poor.
i'm mean SHIT, when was the last time a normal priced phone came with 26 hours worth of battery life or multiple address books?
this is more personal/social than design for me.
- lowimpakt0
you are making very valid points but I think they are design issues. It is interesting to explore the layers of values in products.
Is it altruistic of Nokia to engage in social mobilisation through inclusive design or are they making western consumers subsidise the development of their emerging markets?
- lowimpakt0
maybe I'm trying to drag out a dead conversation here.... :)
- ian0
Nokia aren't being altruistic here, its still all about selling phones.
They can use the processes they've developed to develop cheaper more cost effective phones for poorer regions, so in effect I think your comment on the idea of subsidising these emerging markets is true.
Is it a good thing to offer phones cheaper to 'poorer' regions, I don't know. Its a luxury item, granted one we all use every day but nonetheless I think its still a luxury item. So they will set a price on the phone that is competitive and comparatively priced so it will sell in whatever market they introduce it to, every car manufacturer does it, a compact, a mid-range and a high-end version. Its pretty much the same, no?
- kafkaesque0
I think its an interesting idea, but there I highly doubt that for a lot of those 'poor people' a phone is high on their list of priority buying
- anxiousarms0
true, 25 euros is nearly $50 usd... virgin mobile pay as you go phones are like 9.99 and service is dead cheap too.