STATE OF AADHAAR

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE A LARGE-SCALE NATIONAL IDENTITY SYSTEM?

ICT & MOBILE
Omidyar Network

Conceived as an ambitious project to provide universal identity to more than one billion Indians, India’s Aadhaar system is unparalleled in its reach and aspiration. We launched a study distilling insights drawn from two national household surveys, conducted between May and September 2019, and subsequent human-centered design research. Capturing the experiences and perspectives of over 167,000 residents, together the surveys represent the largest primary dataset on the use of Aadhaar and, more broadly, digital ID anywhere in the world. Learn more

THE HUMAN ACCOUNT

HOW CAN WE BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BEHAVIORS OF THE UNDER-SERVED?

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors + Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Nearly three billion people have been overlooked by formal financial services. With rich behavioral and psychometric data woven into 35 segments representing 1.98 billion people, The Human Account can change all of that. The Human Account is a breakthrough, public resource with the potential to significantly shift how financial service providers understand, invest in, design for, and engage the underserved. The Human Account dataset is currently being used by a broad range of financial service providers in India, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan. Learn more

DIGIFARM

HOW CAN WE DESIGN BUNDLED DIGITAL SERVICES TO IMPROVE THE LIVELIHOODS OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS?

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY
Mercy Corps + Safaricom

​Dalberg has been supporting Mercy Corps’ AgriFin Accelerate program to design and launch the DigiFarm platform with Safaricom and multiple partners (Arifu, iProcure, FarmDrive) in a multi-staged engagement. DigiFarm is a mobile-based platform aimed at increasing digital financial and non-financial services for smallholder farmers in Kenya. Through the DigiFarm platform, farmers have access to discounted inputs, education, loans and markets. DigiFarm is serving over 1 million farmers and has won Fast Company’s World Changing Award and the Golden Loerie Award. Watch a video about DigiFarm to learn more 

HOW CAN WE BETTER COMMUNICATE CRITICAL COVID INFORMATION?

GLOBAL HEALTH

We pulled together COVID-19 101 in a few key local Indian languages to share with daily wage workers, domestic staff, elderly relatives and other communities that struggled to understand what the COVID crisis was about. We’ve distributed and adapted these posters, and are now including additional topics such as hand-washing and social distancing approaches. Download examples

TECH BETS FOR AN URBAN WORLD

ICT & MOBILE, CITIES & URBAN DEVELOPMENT
UNICEF

UNICEF engaged Dalberg to drive technology sector innovation in emerging markets that delivers significant impact on children’s health and livelihoods and positive commercial value. This body of work identifies digital technologies that deliver positive social impacts for children and their families in cities, and also grow markets and deliver financial returns for technology companies and investors. It details six big tech bets and provides specific recommendations for start-ups, large tech companies and the public sector. Learn more

HOW CAN WE INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF DESIGN?

EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION
Nairobi Design Institute

Dalberg Design is a lead partner in the Nairobi Design Institute (NDI), an impact design academy, in collaboration with Tosh Juma, former Creative Lead of our Nairobi design practice. We have worked with Tosh over the last three years to incubate this ground-breaking model for building design capacity in the region. Our shared mission with NDI is to drive the future of innovation and impact in Africa through the power of design. Learn more

HOW CAN DESIGN CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL HEALTH?

GLOBAL HEALTH
USAID + Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Global health practitioners have asked for practical guidance about ways to increase the understanding, appropriate use, and value of design as an approach to addressing global health challenges. We recognize that there may be uncertainty around the design approach, so in partnership with USAID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we created a tailored set of resources to clarify its potential, based on common questions that we’ve heard from global health practitioners. Learn more

INTENTIONAL LEARNING TO DRIVE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY
Rural & Agricultural Finance Learning Lab

Over the course of six months, RAFLL and Dalberg Design worked with portfolio partners to understand their learning challenges and co-design potential solutions to those challenges. The “intentional learning” model that emerged describes an active, deliberate approach to learning using simple tools and processes. The learning solutions were piloted by three partners and are compiled in the newly released, “Dynamic learning playbook: Intentional learning practices to achieve social impact.” Download the playbook

DESIGNING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR ASPIRING INDIANS

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Building on The Human Account, this study asks and solves for two important questions: How do we truly understand the financial life of a person who lives on the other side of the tracks from inclusion? And, How might FSPs design and offer services and products that holistically meet their needs and aspirations? The convergence of these points of interest has helped us come to a set of 6 financial product prototypes. It is our belief that they offer a compelling value proposition to different types of consumers, as well as provide feasible and profit- able opportunities for FSPs. Learn more

PROMOTING DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT OF WOMEN FARMERS 

GENDER EMPOWERMENT
Mercy Corps

Dalberg Design and our partner Mercy Corps AgriFin Accelerate are continuously learning about and improving strategies to reach women with digital financial and information services. We strive to share emerging lessons with the agricultural and financial inclusion communities. Read about our six key insights on promoting engagement with women smallholder farmers highlighted in this infographic

PROMOTING PROTECTION AGAINST HIV  

GLOBAL HEALTH, GENDER EMPOWERMENT
USAID + IPM

We collaborated with USAID and the International Partnership for Microbicides to increase adoption and sustain use of a new HIV prevention option by young women (18-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The dapivirine (DPV) ring is an ARV-based vaginal ring is the first woman-controlled method for sustained and discreet HIV protection. We delivered a comprehensive guide and user experience concepts to support women choosing the DPV ring and other multi-purpose vaginal rings (MPT - e.g., HIV+ contraception or STI) in the future. Download the design guide 

MERCHANT PAYMENTS INNOVATION TO PROMOTE CASHLESS ECOSYSTEMS  

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP

Dalberg engaged with CGAP and a leading Mobile Network Operator to understand the barriers to, and design interventions for, the adoption and use of mobile payments at merchant establishments in Tanzania. As an outcome of this work, the MNO chose to pilot some select interventions in Tanzania, and develop a go-to-market strategy to scale successful pilots. Learn about approaches for merchants to increase customer loyalty in the loyalty playbook 

NATIONAL ID FOR INDONESIA

ICT & MOBILE
RPA + World Bank

We collaborated with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the World Bank to understand people’s journeys and experiences with identification systems in Indonesia, including with the e-KTP, the KK, the birth certificate and government service cards, among others. Using HCD research focused on extreme and outlier users, we developed recommendations for improved national ID systems and suggested directions for additional research.

VISUALIZING DIGITAL HEALTH   

GLOBAL HEALTH
Health Enabled

We worked with Health Enabled and a consortium of partners to design and launch a platform that will provide the first-ever comprehensive picture of digital health. Digital technology has become a core component of health system strengthening both in developing and developed markets. But these efforts are often fragmented across a broad array of applications from digital record systems to behavior change communications. We led the design and data visualization components to bring this data to life both as an advocacy tool as well as to support better decision-making regarding the allocation of resources. Explore the platform 

DRIVING CUSTOMER CENTRICITY IN FINANCIAL INCLUSION

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP

Dalberg collaborated with CGAP and a network of FSPs to conceptualize, design, prototype and launch the Customer-Centric Guide, an online learning resource focused on creating and delivering value for customers and businesses to improve financial inclusion. In the first year, there were over 11,000 downloads of critical tools, kits, and resources to support customer-centered design for financial inclusion. in View the guide

CONSUMER BEHAVIORS & ATTITUDES TOWARD DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES IN INDIA

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Omidyar Network

In partnership with Omidyar Network, we sought to understand the context and behaviors of a Indian consumers regarding readiness for digital financial services. The report  “Currency of Trust: Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Towards Digital Financial Services in India"  surfaces behavioral insights that reveal why Indian consumers are slow to adopt digital financial services, and groups consumers into five personas that offer a pathway through which providers can initiate user engagement. Download report (8.2 MB pdf)

BEHAVIORAL MODEL FOR FINANCIAL HEALTH

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CFSI + Accion

Working together with the Center for Financial Services Innovation & the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, we sought to understand whether a global version of their financial health framework could advance our collective understanding of consumer behavior and deepen our appreciation of the impact of finance on personal well-being among the poor. We tried to build a holistic understanding of how financial aspirations shape the lives and behavior of the poor on a day-to-day basis. Download report (7.8 MB pdf)

PRIVACY ON THE LINE   

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP + FFI

In 2017, a multidisciplinary team of strategists, lawyers, designers and researchers from Dalberg, Future of Finance Initiative at Dvara Research and CGAP set out to understand ‘how do ordinary citizens of India think and act on their privacy and data protection?’ The report is a collection of insights, design principles and stories from face-to-face interviews with close to 50 people and experts spread across 4 regions of India that helped to understand not just what people say, but how they think, act and feel. The methods helped uncover what factors drive people’s decision-making and how they might make trade-offs under different data giving contexts. Read the report 

FINANCIAL INCLUSION FIT TO SIZE BRIEF

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY
Rural & Agricultural Finance Learning Lab

The fourteenth briefing note in a series from the Initiative for Smallholder Finance, where we explore the causes of low uptake in digital credit for smallholders to better understand how we can develop concrete product solutions to jump-start adoption of digital credit products by them. Download brief (0.5 MB pdf)

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TOOLKIT (+ Workbook)

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP

DD collaborated with CGAP to develop the Customer Experience Toolkit. This resource -and its accompanying workbook- equips organizations to create empowering customer experiences through a hands-on approach, and is the only resource that specifically targets the financial services community with a focus on unbanked and underbanked customers. Download toolkit (2.5 MB pdf) and workbook (0.8 MB pdf)

BUSINESS CHALLENGES BOOKLET

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP

DD worked closely with CGAP to develop the Business Challenges Booklet. This booklet offers guidance to financial service providers on how to overcome the three most common business challenges, and reveals how customer experience methods help teams rapidly gather key insights, successfully enter new markets, and increase their existing customer base. Download booklet (1.5 MB pdf)

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PLAYBOOK

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP

DD collaborated with CGAP, Dalberg Mumbai and Janalakshmi Financial Services in India to develop the Customer Experience Playbook. Although initially created for Janalakshmi staff, this resource is designed for any FSP serving low-income customers to improve their customer experience, and equip staff to help transform their organizations. Download playbook (5.8MB pdf)

DIRECT TO FARMER FINANCE INNOVATION PLAYBOOK

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY
Initiative for Smallholder Finance

DD led a collaborative research, design and ideation process to explore innovative models for direct-to-farmer finance providers to better serve smallholder farmers. Our Design Lab engaged farmers, donors and finance providers to identify five breakthrough opportunities for direct-to-farmer finance innovation. Download report (3MB pdf)

HOW WOULD FARMERS MEASURE THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS?

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SECURITY
Rural & Agricultural Finance Learning Lab

DD worked closely with the Rural and Agricultural Finance Learning Lab to better understand the current impact of rural and agricultural finance (RAF). Employing a human-centered design methodology, the Dalberg team undertook in-depth interviews with farmers in Ghana and Kenya to understand and capture their perspectives on success, and inform future approaches to measuring impact. Download report (969KB pdf)

EMPOWERING WOMEN TO USE THE MOBILE INTERNET

ICT & MOBILE
GSMA

This groundbreaking report, based on user research that we conducted in Kenya, India and Indonesia, analyzes the challenges women face when accessing mobile internet with low mobile literacy and digital skills; understand how women learn these skills; and identify the barriers women run up against in various learning channels. Download report (3MB pdf)

SMART MAPS FOR SMART CITIES: INDIA

CITIES & URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Google

DD worked closely with the Dalberg Mumbai team and Google to communicate the potential impact of "Smart Maps" on India's urban future through the design of this high impact report which describes how Indian cities can save 13,000 lives, gain over $8 billion in revenue, and reduce one million metric tons of carbon emissions a year. Download report (6MB pdf)

MAKING THE CASE FOR DESIGN IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTOR

MULTIPLE SECTORS

Interest in human centered design (HCD) has been growing within the development sector, yet few organizations have figured out how to integrate design approaches into their work on a consistent basis. This report provides a snapshot of the potential value and the shortcomings of design for development as well as pathways to increase its impact and sustainability as a meaningful contributor to program success and lasting outcomes. Download report

DESIGNING DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR SMALLHOLDER FAMILIES

FINANCIAL INCLUSION
CGAP

Recognizing the need for DFS that better respond to smallholder demand, CGAP partnered in early 2015 with an FSP in Zimbabwe, Senegal, Rwanda, and Cambodia  to design a new generation of smallholder specific digital financial products and services. Under the guidance and expertise of two human-centered design (HCD) firms (Dalberg Design and IDEO.org), CGAP and its FSP partners worked to explore, create, evolve, and test possible digital solutions for smallholder families. Download report