IBM interactive experience: Baroda Kisan

Farmer

For the initial phase of Baroda Kisan, we chose to focus on farmers in Maharashtra as our pilot users. As a state analagous to California in the US, Maharashtran farmers grow a myriad of crops. Many speak Marathi as their first language and Hindi as their second language.

Working with IBM and one of India’s largest banks to give farmers access to real-time weather data, market price information through a dedicated application

Background

For this project, I worked with Bank of Baroda, one of India’s largest banks to create a one-stop shop application for farmers to get real time data about weather, crop prices as well as potential financing information for farm implements and machinery. I worked with Strategy Consultants, Visual Designers and Engineers to create the first version of the application for web, tablet and mobile.

After conducting secondary research, three things became apparent to me about farmers in India. 1. While many farmers do have access to the internet, they are unaware of real-time weather and market price information. 2. Real-time crop price information can help farmers choose between going to Market A or Market B to sell their produce and 3. Farmers usually go to informal sources for financing help and do not regularly engage with formal financial institutions

Activities

  • Conducted secondary research into farmers’ technological habits in India to determine the most appropriate way of designing an application

  • Worked with Strategy Consultants to diagram a process flow for an application

  • Delivered high fidelity designs and worked with

Problem

Personas Targeted:

1.

The design for Baroda Kisan must be straightforward and simple as Maharashtran farmers are relatively new users to smartphones

Design Requirements

2.

The application must me localized to the area and farmers should have the option to choose between Marathi, English and Hindi in the application

3.

The application must be reliable and trustworthy to win over farmers. Providing the wrong crop price could result in hours of forfeited labor for the farmer

Outcome