A resource kit for participatory socio-technical design in rural Kenya

We describe our approach and initial results in the participatory design of technology relevant to local rural livelihoods. Our approach to design and usability proceeds from research in theory and practice of crosscultural implementations, but the novelty is in beginning not with particular technologies but from community needs, and structuring technology in terms of activities. We describe our project aims and initial data collected, which show that while villagers have no clear mental models for using computers or the Internet, they show a desire to have and use them. We then describe our approach to interaction design, our expectations and next steps as the technology and activities are first introduced to the villages. Keywords development, usability, mobile, culture, agriculture. ACM Classification Keywords H.5.2 User Interfaces, J.4 Social and behavioral sciences, K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Kevin Walker, Joshua Underwood, Timothy Mwololo Waema, Lynne Dunckley, José L. Abdelnour-Nocera, Rosemary Luckin, Cecilia Oyugi, Souleymane Camara
• Keywords: ACM Classification Keywords, CHI 2008, Clear Mental Models, Human Computer Interaction, Local Rural Livelihoods