A key objective of the DIG-it-AL project was to identify effective solutions to increase the adoption of digital farmer services (DFS) among smallholder farmers. To do this, we organized co-design workshops with farmers and stakeholders, where we collaboratively developed solutions that overcame barriers to adoption. Then, we tested whether these solutions addressed the barriers they were meant to overcome.
Throughout the project, we designed and tested over 15 different solutions, with many proving successful. However, just as many fell short. In this blog, we highlight some of the solutions that had little to no impact and share important takeaways so others can learn from our experiences.
We worked with a DFS provider in Ghana to design a solution to differentiate their product – a toll-free IVR where callers could receive agricultural advice – from others in the market. We explored having different messengers (like extension agents and community farmers) deliver information through IVR and incorporating a background jingle to make the experience more memorable for callers.
However, the messenger had no impact on retention, and farmers remembered more when there was no background jingle. They preferred a straightforward, informative message without distractions.
This tells us two things. First, too much information or unnecessary elements can overwhelm or distract farmers, reducing their ability to retain and process key information. Second, as solution designers, we are susceptible to complexity bias, the tendency to assume that a complex solution is inherently better than a simple one, resulting in designs with distractors that overwhelm users.
We worked with a livestock advisory organization in India that wanted their extension agents to use smartphones for digital data collection. However, some agents were unsure how to use their devices. During co-design workshops, they proposed a buddy system, pairing confident smartphone users with those who needed more support.
While this idea seemed promising at first, it proved impractical during testing. The agents lived in villages far apart, making travel time-consuming and unrealistic given their already demanding schedules. Additionally, many had limited financial resources, and the cost of traveling to a colleague’s village was an expense neither the agents nor the provider were willing to cover.
We partnered with a DFS provider in Uganda to develop solutions for raising awareness and encouraging farmers to register for their platform. During the co-design workshops, we designed posters with farmers to hang around the community to publicize our partner's services and give farmers written instructions on how to register.
Though impactful and cost-effective in theory, testing showed that the posters had no impact on farmers' awareness or understanding of how to register for the platform. They weren't paying attention to the posters at all, let alone taking the time to read and comprehend the information.
The co-design process can become an echo chamber, where facilitators and participants fixate on specific barriers and solutions, amplifying their potential while overlooking the obvious. In our case, we became so focused on the design and placement of the posters that we failed to question whether farmers would even notice them.
These anecdotes illustrate the importance of identifying and addressing our own biases about what works and what we understand about the populations we serve. The success of DFS hinges on our ability to design solutions that truly resonate with farmers and address their specific needs. By recognizing both user- and designer-side biases, we can create solutions that are simple and aligned with the real challenges farmers face.
Our experiences in Ghana, India, and Uganda have taught us that to create lasting impact, we must simplify information delivery, consider farmers' unique contexts, and stay practical and grounded. As designers, we must remain mindful of our assumptions and continuously validate our approaches to ensure they are truly solving the core issues for the farmers we aim to serve.
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