Project background

During my internship with the NGO/startup Pesitho, I conducted field research in rural Myanmar with internally displaced communities lacking access to electricity. The organization had developed a solar-powered cooking device to replace traditional fire-based cooking. My research involved interviewing 30 families and analyzing usage tracker data to understand how the technology aligned with user needs.

I identified that cooking practices were often slow, with ingredients requiring long cooking times. This highlighted key usability challenges that informed product improvements.

Role

I led the research with another Anthropologist

Duration

12 weeks

Tools

Excel, PowerPoint

Skills

Interviewing, Focus groups, Affinity mapping

Challenge

Conducting research in rural Myanmar with internally displaced communities presented several challenges:

  • Users had no prior experience with electric cooking, leading to low adoption rates.
  • Limited funding meant slow product iteration, requiring high-impact improvements.
  • Cooking processes varied widely, making standardized usability difficult.
  • The group was displaced and marginalized making it a sensitive area

Solution

  • Added a digital display showing cooking time and battery levels to improve planning.
  • Recommended a frying function, but energy constraints made it unfeasible.
  • Compiled a detailed research report, which helped secure United Nations funding.

Process Overview

1
Identifying Research Priorities
2
Conducting Research
3
Synthesizing Insights
4
Implementing Product Iterations
5
Reflections & Impact
Survey Design Process

A woman collecting firewood for cooking

Phase 1 - Identifying Research Priorities

  • Spent several weeks preparing questions to ensure relevance and cultural sensitivity.
  • Organized transport to remote villages to reach the target group.
  • Coordinated with an interpreter to facilitate communication and ensure accurate data collection.
  • Developed a semi-structured interview plan to allow for flexibility in discussions.
  • Ensured that unexpected insights could emerge naturally during conversations.
Data Cleaning Process

My colleague and I taking notes in the village

Phase 2 - Conducting Research

  • Conducted in-depth interviews with 20 households to understand their cooking practices.
  • Participated in lunch preparations to observe firsthand how meals were made.
  • Identified key requirements and limitations of the solar cooker based on real-world usage.
  • Each interview lasted around two hours, providing rich insights into daily cooking routines.
  • Organized a focus group with primary cooks, where participants brought their cooking equipment.
  • Using physical props helped participants explain their challenges and preferences more effectively.
  • Gathered practical and actionable insights to refine and improve the solar cooker design.
Data Analysis Process

A family with the solar cooker

Phase 3 - Synthesizing Insights

  • Transcribed and synthesized recorded interviews to identify recurring themes.
  • Discovered that a lack of cooking feedback made meal planning difficult.
  • Users struggled to track the cooking process and battery level, leading to frustration.
  • Users couldn’t see cooking progress, making meal planning difficult.
  • No battery level feedback, leading to unexpected shutdowns.
  • Meal planning was uncertain due to lack of real-time cooking status.
Report Creation

The new Solar ooker after adding the display.

Phase 4 - Implementing Product Iterations

  • Proposed a digital display to show battery levels and cooking time.
  • Suggested a frying function, but it was deemed unfeasible due to energy constraints.
  • Compiled a detailed report with research findings, used to secure United Nations funding.

The project concluded with a detailed report outlining our research and recommendations. The company used this report to support product development and successfully secure funding from the United Nations, helping to bring a more user-friendly version of the solar cooker to market.

Phase 5 - Reflections and Impact

Reflections

  • Physical product changes are costly: Unlike software, hardware changes require long development cycles, making early user research essential.
  • User research should come first: Designing a product before understanding user needs often leads to costly iterations.
  • Real-world testing is crucial: Initial assumptions about usability are rarely accurate—field research revealed unexpected usability challenges.

Impact

  • The research led to a direct product change that greatly increased the usability of the Solar Cooker
  • The research report showing an increased adoption of the new Solar Cooker and directly secured funding from the United Nations