SB+Lab+8


 * In three paragraphs, describe the role of Jan Chipchase in defining the role of cellphones in the developing world for Nokia, and the benefits of analyzing cellphone use and design in different cultures as part of their market expansion.**

Jan Chipchase is a 'user anthropologists' that researches how people behave. In more defined terms: he looks into the lives of people and obtains knowledge about those people, and report his findings back to his organization (i.e. Nokia). In this way, Chipchase learns about peoples daily regimes in life and how they assimilate themselves within their country and situation they live in. This is a high point for Chipchase, for he is to report to Nokia on how to design cell phones for people living in developing countries. This helps expand market share and improve the lives of the people living within those states (i.e. Ghana in West Africa).

The benefits of analyzing cellphones helps designers understand their customers and how cellphones are used through out the world. In this way, cellphones will match the identity of its user and correlate to their living standards. For example, the article mentioned an Indian man that carried his cell phone within a plastic bag. Chipchase noted that a hook should be latched on to his future cell phone in order to suit his living standards and day to day life. This creates an advantage for a company like Nokia (to design cell phones that match users identities) in order to outsell their competitors in areas where cell phones are not frequently used.

It has been seen that cell phones, within rural areas of the world, are becoming a tool to do business. People have begun to use cell phones as if they are computers. For example, the article stated how a man checks market prices (on his cell phone) in order to report to the people how much their produce costs for the day. This exemplifies that attitudes towards cell phones are changing, and the market is expanding since people are becoming more connected with each other. This allows people to enhance their productivity and well being since they can be reached. Cell phones have become more of needs rather then wants in these places, this is because cell phones allow people to find jobs and check (ahead of time) if a person they want to see is in their office. For example, a women that wants to take her child to the doctors, can check if the doctor is in his office first before walking three miles and then finding out.