Design Devices for Human Development: A Capabilities Approach in Kenya and Uganda

Despite progress in recent decades, many crucial challenges to the eradication of extreme poverty remain intractable. Development interventions often fail deliver sustained, transformational outcomes households and communities. The field design has demonstrated its capacity designed artifacts that enhance livelihoods well-being people living resource poor communities, but it remains unclear how tools can contribute seeking multidimensional development outcomes. We present insights from two case studies, conducted Kenya Uganda, where a service approach was applied interventions: clean cookstove fuel system, an innovative insurance product help farmers cope with climate variability. In both cases, experience mapping, archetype construction, prototyping served reveal individual needs, capacities, values, enabled translation this information into features for interventions. Using Amartya Sen’s capabilities as ex post analytical frame, we show these devices could guide designers when co-designing services aim environmental sustainability social among low-income