Week+3

Lab 3

Week 3: Human-Centred Design Case Study of Cellphones in Developing Countries

Read the online article 'Can the Cellphone end Global Poverty?' at [] before your tutorial begins.


 * 1.In three paragraphs, describe the role of Jan Chipchase in defining the role of cellphones in the developing world for Nokia, and the benefits of analyzing and defining their use in different cultures as part of their market expansion.**

Jan Chipcase is known as the "human-behaviour researcher" for the Finnish cellphone company Nokia. As the inside man for Nokia, he is responsible for researching and learning about other cultures through observing people and their lives in the developing world. Through this research, Nokia should be able to generate a fair share of information and understanding of what individuals from that culture look for and need. The information is valuable as it helps them design cellphones which are suitable to the people's needs and culture.

Every country has it's own cultural, which sometimes differ greatly from the typical North American customs. The manner in which cell phones are needed in one country will vary as opposed to another. In developing countries, having a cell phone may be alot cheaper than having a land-line network as they are expensive to maintain in the household. If one really wants to find out the use of an object in a certain culture it is vital to do the outside research which will lead to answers. It begins with understanding the cultural norms of that country so that one knows which marketing efforts are successful and which aren't in these countries.

Cell phones are shifting developing countries into a more efficient and also at times less expensive mode of communication. Companies like Nokia continue to analyze and define different cultures, also attempting to identify their wants and needs. Human-behaviour researchers like Jan are extremely important to the company as they are able to find the information that will lead Nokia in the right direction towards marketing and such. The information gathered by analyzing and defining their use in different cultures as part of their market expansion helps support decisions that the company makes on behalf of the marketing of cellphones in these developing countries.


 * 2. How does the idea of microfinance support two of the key themes of sustainability as outlined in the diagram posted on your class wiki '5 Key Themes for Sustainability'? Write one paragraph for each of your chosen themes.**

The idea of microfinance supports two of the key themes of sustainability one of which is "achieving a sustainable economy."

Achieving a sustainable economy It is important in today's society, as many countries today are living in unsustainable economies. Hence, it is vital that we pay close attention to these countries and bring them up to our level of economy to eliminate the gaps between these developing countries. When working towards a better economy for a country, it will better their future as a country and also leave them with sustainability.

Ensuring a strong, healthy, and just society Microfinance supports the idea of sustainability, as it assures people that they are able to recieve help if needed specifically in regards to the healthcare. How does this happen? Firstly, people are introduced the opportunity to build their income by the increasing amount of cellular commications within people buying and selling. And hence the outcome of everyone being able to communicate more easily with these health care providers.