Mandy+Flynn+Week+Eight

Jan Chipcase travels to some of the most remote areas of the world to study people and their interactions with their local environment. It would be hard to tell that Jan works for one of the largest companies in the world, Nokia, as a “human-behavior researcher.” Jan monitors people’s lifestyles and records essential information that he brings back to his Nokia to influence product development for these areas of the world. His method of hands on research allows him to see what the people really need instead of want, and what features would be beneficial for their lifestyles.

In the interview with Jan it is clear he is not driven by greed or the quest to boost sales, his true belief is that cell phones will one day end world hunger and poverty. The ability to boost local economy with the use of a phone can already be seen, one example being the farmers in Nepal who have one person with a phone who calls to check vegetable pricing which allows them to arrange for a more profitable sale. There are ‘phone ladies’ in Bangladesh who make a living by purchasing a phone that they allow others to use for a fee. Using this phone can also transfer money and opens possibilities to these people who live in remote areas that they never had before.

Looking at how these people use their phones it is obvious they have no need for an Iphone or Blackberry. Their needs in regards to a phone’s features are far different from the needs of a North American individual. Something as simple as a built-in hook will allow a family in Mumbai to hang their phone on a hook to save it from flooding water damage. This knowledge could not be acquired without someone like Chipcase doing ground research in these places.