Designing for COVID-19, climate, and affordability

Proximity Designs

Proximity Designs is an award-winning social enterprise that offers affordable technology, agronomy services, and financing to smallholder farmers in Myanmar, boosting the incomes of over 1.2 million households.

Our Labs team acted as a centre of excellence for human-centered approaches and digital transformation. I led multidisciplinary project teams and defined the practice, principles, and language of Proximity's design culture as Design Lead.

Crisis-responsive research

Through rapid quantitative surveys, qualitative phone interviews, and empathy mapping, I helped implement a monitoring system of farmer behavior changes, economic effects of virus, changes in food supply, and government policies.

What we learned informed COVID-19 guidance and campaigns for Myanmar's rural context, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. 

12 million

total views on Facebook

3.1 million

rural users reached

13

ethnic languages supported

Co-designing agronomy services

Affordable operations means more affordable services for our customers. I evaluated tools for field operations that reach 75% of Myanmar's farming population.

With farmers, agronomists, and field experts, my teams iterated on soil health and crop protection services that mitigate climate, through social research, financial modeling, and prototyping.

Accessible design thinking

Anyone who solves problems can be a designer. I built and facilitated “design immersives” that provided hands-on experience with the design process and frameworks for staff. We partnered with other social enterprises, supporting local problems and recontextualizing activities.