Jugaad System 2011, 2015, 2024

In 2002-2004, I spent 2 years serving the amazing people of Argentina where I was exposed to a simpler way of living. In 2010, I spent the spring in China doing immersive research with a translator and designing a vehicle for that market. These experiences inspired and empowered me in 2011 to research and build a system to aid the Rural Farmers of India to progress out of poverty.

My role

As designer and researcher championed market research to guide my pursuit in finding a way to help mobility those who make $2.50 < per day raise themselves out of poverty. I was a CCS MFA graduate degree candidate then and this project is my thesis project which spanned 2010-2011.

My Thesis:

Mobility can support rural farmers of India out of $2.50 poverty by helping to produce income outside of their personal farm.

Center Question:

A. How can transportation be miniaturized and affordable so the poorest farmer can afford it? and..

B. Can that farmer buy into a transportation system that aids their financial progress out of poverty?

Affordability via Miniaturization

While doing my market research I read, Out of Poverty, by Paul Polak which gave me the inspiration of considering a way to miniaturize / fragment a product so one can purchase parts of it while still utilizing its core value / functionality.

This led me to my center questions…

A. How can transportation be miniaturized and affordable so the poorest farmer can afford it? +

B. Can that farmer buy into a transportation system that aids their financial progress out of poverty?

Research Structure

I wanted a comprehensive view of what farming and life was like so I delved into each externality that affected farmers on a daily basis.

I followed the IDEO Human Center Design handbook for exercises and methods for planning and infield activities.

Targeted Farmers

Vigan Ashram and my translator were pivotal in helping to get a spread of farmers of all economic levels. Following my Human Centered Design Guide Book I was able to break down what the values, cost drivers, transportation and other interests were for each farmer and farmer group.

Observations

It was intriguing to notice the different patterns of behavior of how people get around, what they use their equipment for, how the help one another process crops, and create businesses to fulfill unmet needs.

The state of Maharashtra in India is quite industrially advanced compared to other states in northern and eastern India, understanding that this area was good beachhead of where India is going to be in the coming years.

It was amazing at the ingenuity of almost everyone in the rural areas. They took what they had around them (found tools, materials and other resources) and optimized them beyond anything I have witnessed in the States, China, and in South America.

This behavior is called “JUGAAD” in Hindi. It is more than “Do it yourself” DIY. It is DIY with master skills and thinking (taking it to a MacGyver level in craft and ingenuity), creating self make innovation.

Farmer Segmentation

There’s five major farmer segmentations Marginal, Small, Small-Mid, Developing, Developed.

The Marginal and Small groups live below the international poverty line with an income of $2.50 / day.

The Small Farmer group was my target based on their desire to move up the economic ladder and had in the ingenuity living ‘Jugaad’ everyday. I wanted to design a system that would help them grow their income outside of their farm size of 2-3 acres, which is not enough to provide for their family.

Their major form of travel is a bicycle. They processed their crops via other farmers’ equipment.

The Small-Mid Farmers had bullock carts, but they were slow and not versatile.

It was common to see the Developing and Developed Farmers riding on motorcycles transporting multiple people, goods, and a lot of cargo.

Only the Developed Farmers had tractors and trucks, or SUVs to move crops and people around. They often had several people working for them and were seeking for ways to reduce labor costs to optimized ROI on their crop yields.

The Developing and Developed Farmers were mostly the only groups that could earn a decent living off of their land. Sometimes the Small-Mid Farmers would need to do seasonal work to supplement their income throughout the year.

How Farmers Move

I noticed the Small Farmers used their bicycles a lot go to town, school, and to run errands. They also used their bicycles to travel to their farmers or others’ farmers to be a day laborer for a Developed Farmer. They would barrow bullock carts from neighboring farmers to process their crops. They also hitched a ride on other’s motorcycles to get around a little faster, but they were dependent on other scheduling and calendars to do so.

Targeted Market Weaknesses

Based on my observations, I noticed the speed, versatility, and capacity were not being met by the majority of the products and transit options for all farmers.

Core Needs:

• Get where they want to go quickly

• Travel needs change drastically throughout the week, and even the day

• The ability to move heavy loads for themselves and others

• Have a steady and reliable source of income

Ideation Process

Ideation was very iterative based on my insights gathered from primary research in Maharashtra, India.

I focused on the core needs of each farmer group.

Starting out, I wanted to design a device that would allow a farmer to earn income outside his farm and still own something that would not be WASTED when he buys more into the system, like the trailer, which was a solution gap for the Small to Small-Mid Farmers.

I figured out a way to make the “Sit-down Cycle” to be part of seat of the trailer hitched to a bike, motorcycle, or a bullock cart.
I knew a tricycle with a cargo bed would give good capacity and more speed to help replace the bullock cart for moderate loads.

The Developing Farmers had the speed with their motorcycle, but not good cargo capacity for haul the variety of items and people desired in rural India; therefore, I designed a way to make the tricycle .. “Utility Cycle” motorized to run on major roads with larger loads.

The Developed Farmers had it all so I knew they needed more capacity, so I designed a way to extend the chassis and frame to the front, adding another wheel and steering components.

The four wheel vehicle phase was designed to accommodate a driver / passenger canopy (for protection from the elements and a cargo cage to enhance cargo carry capability and securing items on the bed.

Additive System

Each stage of the Jugaad System adds upon the previous stage starting with the “Sit-down Cycle”.
The beauty of this system is that no one component is lost in acquiring more parts for the next stage of expansion for the system.

Economic Growth

The entire premise of the Jugaad System is to aid those living under the international poverty line of $2.50 per day and allow them access to an ecosystem that doesn’t accumulate waste, at the same time, helping them have better and more consistent income outside of farming.

Also, other farmers can purchase the system at any stage according to their needs.

Distribution & Assembly

If the Jugaad system was acquired with all of its part, they fit and can be delivery onsite for assembly. The parts are mostly extruded metal parts and can be fastened and repaired with common tools.

Recap Jugaad Strengths vs Market Weaknesses

It is obvious to see the Jugaad System is far superior in SPEED, VERSATILITY, and CAPACITY to the fragmented offerings found in rural India. This gives instant value to the Indian customer the day they buy and use the system to more or process goods in their community.

Interest

Low cost transportation and solving deep human needs have been a passion of mine for almost 20 years. If you are interested in see this project progress to the next stage, let me know. I’m always looking for a partner in crime!

spencerwchamberlain@gmail.com // RE: Jugaad System

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