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An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers
After over 25 years of decline, the global poverty rate has started to increase driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, taking millions back into poverty, most of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Low-income consumers are underserved and do not have the means to pay for or access to goods or services which...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Graduate School of Business (GSB)
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613276423061504 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Pillay, Kuvendren |
| author2 | Reyneke, Mignon |
| author_browse | Pillay, Kuvendren Reyneke, Mignon |
| author_facet | Reyneke, Mignon Pillay, Kuvendren |
| author_sort | Pillay, Kuvendren |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | After over 25 years of decline, the global poverty rate has started to increase driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, taking millions back into poverty, most of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Low-income consumers are underserved and do not have the means to pay for or access to goods or services which are required for a minimum standard of living. These consumers struggle to find essential goods, the products do not always meet their needs or are too expensive for them to afford and the products' benefits are not easily understood. Yet the spending power and demand from consumers at the bottom of the economic pyramid in emerging markets and developing countries are motivating for global consumer goods companies. Not only does the opportunity presents financial benefit but is a social obligation to democratise new product innovations across markets. The 4As Framework (Affordability, Acceptability, Availability and Awareness) encompass factors which help manufacturers to better reach and serve low-income consumers. This framework is applied in this research to understand products meet their needs of low-income consumer across these four factors; and how designers employ human centred design to design products for low-income consumers against these factors. Human Centred Design has been employed to develop solutions to complex problems with great empathy to users and stakeholders for many years but has been gaining popularity with business and social ventures since the early 2000s. By interviewing consumers and designers, this study delved into understanding (1) the motivations and challenges of designing products for low income consumers, (2) how human centred design was being employed in the design of consumer goods for this group against the 4As framework and (3) how products currently meet the needs of low-income consumers, against the 4As framework. It was found that designers were consistently motivated by designing products for this consumer group which they believed served them. However, the constant evolution of needs, and needing to design for an affordable price were challenges. It was also found that some human centred design practices were prominent but there was more consistency needed in application, particularly when dealing with acceptability, affordability and awareness. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37713 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:33.643Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Graduate School of Business (GSB) |
| publisherStr | Graduate School of Business (GSB) |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37713 An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers Pillay, Kuvendren Reyneke, Mignon human-centred design low-income consumers new product development inclusivity After over 25 years of decline, the global poverty rate has started to increase driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, taking millions back into poverty, most of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Low-income consumers are underserved and do not have the means to pay for or access to goods or services which are required for a minimum standard of living. These consumers struggle to find essential goods, the products do not always meet their needs or are too expensive for them to afford and the products' benefits are not easily understood. Yet the spending power and demand from consumers at the bottom of the economic pyramid in emerging markets and developing countries are motivating for global consumer goods companies. Not only does the opportunity presents financial benefit but is a social obligation to democratise new product innovations across markets. The 4As Framework (Affordability, Acceptability, Availability and Awareness) encompass factors which help manufacturers to better reach and serve low-income consumers. This framework is applied in this research to understand products meet their needs of low-income consumer across these four factors; and how designers employ human centred design to design products for low-income consumers against these factors. Human Centred Design has been employed to develop solutions to complex problems with great empathy to users and stakeholders for many years but has been gaining popularity with business and social ventures since the early 2000s. By interviewing consumers and designers, this study delved into understanding (1) the motivations and challenges of designing products for low income consumers, (2) how human centred design was being employed in the design of consumer goods for this group against the 4As framework and (3) how products currently meet the needs of low-income consumers, against the 4As framework. It was found that designers were consistently motivated by designing products for this consumer group which they believed served them. However, the constant evolution of needs, and needing to design for an affordable price were challenges. It was also found that some human centred design practices were prominent but there was more consistency needed in application, particularly when dealing with acceptability, affordability and awareness. 2023-04-13T10:51:45Z 2023-04-13T10:51:45Z 2022 2023-04-13T10:51:25Z Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37713 eng application/pdf Graduate School of Business (GSB) Faculty of Commerce |
| spellingShingle | human-centred design low-income consumers new product development inclusivity Pillay, Kuvendren An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers |
| title_full | An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers |
| title_fullStr | An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers |
| title_full_unstemmed | An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers |
| title_short | An exploratory study into human-centred design in new product development for low-income consumers |
| title_sort | exploratory study into human centred design in new product development for low income consumers |
| topic | human-centred design low-income consumers new product development inclusivity |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37713 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pillaykuvendren anexploratorystudyintohumancentreddesigninnewproductdevelopmentforlowincomeconsumers AT pillaykuvendren exploratorystudyintohumancentreddesigninnewproductdevelopmentforlowincomeconsumers |