human-centered design

January 30, 2018

Try first, fail fast and other lean lessons

Remember when Segway launched in 2002? It was predicted to revolutionise transportation and hit the $1 billion sales mark faster than any company in history. But by 2010 it had sold less than 30,000 units and was termed as one of the 10 biggest tech failures of the decade.
October 7, 2017

Stopping fires in slums: A surprisingly simple solution

On a quiet Wednesday afternoon in early August, Dhaka’s Tejgaon fire station got a call from Beltola, a crowded part of Korail slum. An electric wire was sparking and nearby houses were starting to catch on fire.
September 22, 2016

Can good service design build customer trust?

For several years now, we have seen Dhaka repeatedly ranked as one of the least livable cities in the world.  One major factor is our transport system. A city of 20 million people, no metro system and an inadequate number of buses create a traffic nightmare. Those who depend on buses suffer the most: drivers pack people into buses, drive aggressively and stop haphazardly, sometimes in the middle of the street. It is almost impossible for women to get a ride during rush hours.
May 30, 2016

Digital finance in Bangladesh: Empowering or excluding women?

This blog draws from discussions on the progress of digital financial services, during a seminar in Dhaka in April 2016. The seminar was organised by BRAC Social Innovation Lab, Access to Information (a2i) and USAID’s mSTAR project implemented by FHI 360. IFMR LEAD was the Knowledge Partner for the event.