Agricultural Hand Tools

New Product Design

Handheld agricultural equipment for female farmers in Mali and Senegal

Processes : Ethnographic interviewing, Survey Analysis, Focus Group, Trial Design

I worked with myAgro to develop and pilot new agricultural equipment for women farmers, a client segmentation under-served by currently available tools. In Mali, women farmers typically plant smaller plots, plant later in the season, are more likely to grow peanuts and vegetables, and are less likely to have access to draft animals, especially during the crucial planting season. After 2 years of development, including a season-long sales trial, 2 new tools were passed on to the organization for future decisions on further development or expansion.

Members of a women's savings group participate in a card sort

Understanding user needs

We used a combination of in-depth user interviews, expert interviews with agronomists, and focus groups to identify the parts of the farming process most in need of tools designed for women.

Trial plots at agricultural research station

Quantitative Analysis

We collaborated with agricultural researchers to design and implement a test-field trial, to evaluate the agricultural effectiveness of potential tools' evaluation. Combining quantitative controlled trials, with user-focused prototyping yields a richer understanding of a product's real-world capabilities.

Early prototype of a weeding machine for peanut cultivate

Maximize Leverage

Bringing together agricultural experts and farmers, we identified planting and early-season weeding for peanuts, as the maximal leverage points for tools development - moments that were causing the highest burden for women farmers currently, and where established agricultural interventions significantly increased harvests.

Sales agents demonstrate planter prototypes to early potential customers

Consumer Prototypes

We ran a season-long prototype with 10 early purchasers. This helped us get long-term data about usability in real conditions, and also challenged us to incorporate realistic assessments of other stakeholder's needs - manufacturing, sales agents, logistics staff - that would affect a tool's ultimate success.

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