Jiva Industry Project

We are excited to announce the successful completion of our second industry project program with Jiva. Throughout the program, our Product Design fellows collaborated in teams to work on a project focused on addressing the challenges faced by smallholder corn farmers in Indonesia. With the guidance of mentors from Jiva, they developed innovative solutions to provide farmers with product recommendations, pest and disease identification, weather alerts, advisory services, and market information based on their specific farming needs.

In this blog post, we will provide an overview of the program and share the experiences of both the fellows and mentors. The Product Design Fellowship program aims to support designers in refining their design process through mentorship and real-world projects. Industry projects play a crucial role in the Fellowship, providing designers with exposure to top design teams and exciting project opportunities!

What does Jiva do?

‍Jiva is a company that focuses on empowering smallholder farmers around the world. They aim to address the challenges faced by these farmers by providing access to finance, supplies, advisory services, and selling opportunities. Jiva conducts extensive research and interviews to understand the needs of farmers and designs products and services accordingly. They believe that even small improvements in farming practices and supply chain systems can help farmers break the cycle of poverty and improve their livelihoods.

In recent years, Jiva has expanded its operations in Indonesia, purchasing corn and selling agricultural inputs. They have also achieved significant milestones in India with their AgriCentral farmer app, reaching millions of farmers and becoming one of the largest farmer advisory platforms in the country.

What was the Industry Project with Jiva?

The Jiva Design Brief focused on addressing the challenges faced by smallholder corn farmers in Indonesia. The goal was to develop a feature that provided product recommendations, pest and disease identification, weather alerts, advisory services, and market information tailored to the specific needs of the farmers. The research hypothesis suggested that offering such a feature could improve crop yields, profitability, and overall farming outcomes.

The task for the Product Designer was to build an experience for corn farmers in India, considering constraints such as using local design guidelines, limited access to farmers, language barriers, low-end smartphones or feature phones, limited app exposure, and expensive and limited data coverage. By following these guidelines, the deliverables effectively addressed the pain points. The team provided a suitable solution and presented a visually appealing and functional Figma prototype to illustrate the key user journeys.‍‍

How was the experience for the fellows?

The fellows were grateful for the opportunity to work on a real-world project and learn from experts in the field. They also appreciated the collaborative environment and the support they received from the Jiva team. Overall, they found the experience to be both challenging and rewarding.

Here is what fellows have to say about their experience:

"It has been a wonderful experience! Although attending meetings was more challenging for me due to my concurrent job responsibilities, I gained valuable insights into tackling real design challenges faced by companies. Overall, it was a rewarding opportunity for learning and growth."

- Aishwarya Khoche, Fellow from cohort 7, Product Design Fellowship

"During the industry project, I had the opportunity to work alongside two other designers, Surya and Anudeep, in a team. It was an incredible experience where we collaborated to find innovative solutions. I truly enjoyed gaining valuable insights from their perspectives and witnessing the outcomes that can arise from such collaborative efforts."

- Yasir Quazi, Fellow from cohort 8, Product Design Fellowship

The fellows were grateful for the opportunity to work on a real-world project and learn from experts in the field. They also appreciated the collaborative environment and the support they received from the Jiva team. Overall, they found the experience to be both challenging and rewarding.

The Jiva Team's Experience

The design team at Jiva was also pleased with the outcome of the industry project. They were impressed with the fellows' work ethic and their ability to think critically and creatively.

Here is a quote from  Saloni Bhandari, Design Research Manager, Jiva:

"First and foremost, we were pleasantly surprised by the students' exceptional quality of work, their effort, and their thoughtful approach. They demonstrated a remarkable understanding of the brief, breaking it down and delving into its intricacies. Aparna has done a fantastic job in ensuring that everything works seamlessly together, managing the fellows and logistics."

Learn more about the mentors!

Tyo, Product Designer, Jiva: I'm a designer who's all about finding that sweet spot between visual awesomeness and user-friendliness. Plus, I'm a tech geek diving into SwiftUI to become a digital indie maker!

Saloni Bhandari, Design Research Manager, Jiva: As a researcher delving into people's stories and understanding product challenges, I've immersed myself in the Agri-tech field for over 2 years. My focus revolves around nurturing research team's growth and being creative in our research methods to tailor them towards the agriculture space.

We would like to express our gratitude to Jiva!

We would like to thank Jiva for their valuable time and collaboration. Your insights have had a significant impact on our fellows' learning journey!

If you’re a designer, you can join our Product Design Fellowship. Apply for the next cohort!

For regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

‍