The key to success is in the differences!

This week I have seen what happens when you mix different people with different backgrounds and expertise: you get too many good ideas! Somebody looking for business ideas? Come to us, we have plenty!

My work description with Design without Borders also involves teaching activities at Makerere University. I have decided to teach what I really believe in: that the key to successful products and successful businesses lays in combining knowledge and ideas from different people with different expertises.

Me as a teacher at Makerere University. From my lecture 14th of November.

Transforming the customers needs and dreams into a successful product requires many different skills.

A multi-disciplinary design project
I have initiated and started up a multi-disciplinary project at the university. The four graduate students in the project group have been hand picked with assistance from the university staff and are specializing in mechanical engineering, food science, agri business and advertising design. They are all doing this project as their graduation project.

A project team of experts in different fields is one of the keys to a successful project.

A food product for sale in the supermarket

This is the project objective the students have been given:
"Develop a food product (or a small range of products) for sale in the supermarket"
Tasks will include:

- market research to determine needs and opportunities in the market

- research for available raw materials and technology

- product development according to taste, nutrition, shelf life, food safety etc.

- design of production process and needed production equipment

- packaging development: functionality, materials, shape, recycling options

- business plan: cost analysis, marketing strategy etc

- design of brand, logo, graphic design for packaging, information/marketing material and campaigns

The 4 students will have to work closely together as many of the tasks needs a combination of expertise in different fields.

Lecture about the design process
Before I started up the multi-disciplinary project, I held a lecture at Makerere about the design process and user involvement. Some pictures:

The design process: user and customer involvement is an essential part.

About 100 students and staff came to the seminar.

Both staff and students asked questions and initiated discussions.

The lecture was followed by interesting discussions.

The research phase
The students have just started their design project and are in the research phase. After a very interesting creative process to identify product ideas, they are right now on the way to the supermarkets to see what is going on there and try to identify their customers and users.

First step in the design process: research!

So far, I am impressed by the students efforts, attitude and work. It will be very interesting to follow the project as it moves forward. Hope you also think so. I will keep you posted!

It's all about U

So, finally I have arrived in Uganda. The african adventure, - and hard work, is about to start. I have been very well received, got my own office and am getting to know my new colleagues. It is all very exciting.

In this blog I will mainly focus on the project I am doing "Food packaging development": the process, progress and results. But, I will also write about my general observations from Uganda related to product development and design, marketing and branding and the business culture. I hope you will enjoy it.

In my first two weeks I have been able to go on two long trips: one to the west and one to the north. Going by car, I have been able to see a lot of Uganda, at least how it looks like from the road side. And I have been able to do my first observations on marketing and branding.

Strong brands - strong colours
The most visible thing when moving along the Ugandan roads are the houses painted in very strong, bright colours with big logos and slogans. The "branded" houses are mostly shops and restaurants, and most probably they also sell products from the same company. And the big majority of them represent the mobile phone companies operating in Uganda. There are (at least according to what I have observed along the road) 5 or 6 companies offering mobile services. The competition is very strong (advantage for me since both domestic and international calls are quite cheap) and advertisement seems to be an important tool to reach the customers. The idea of branding houses along the roads seems to be an efficient advertising channel. A few pictures to give you the impression:

Uganda Telecom - Blue

MTN - Yellow

Orange - Orange (even stronger when the name and colour are the same)

Zain - Pink

Airtel - Red

Warid - Red/white (were there no attractive colours left?)

Colour ownership
This is how it looks like. How they do it? I believe the mobile phone companies strike a deal with the house owners: they paint it for free? That remains to find out. Anyway, it seems to be a win-win deal: the house/shop owner gets the house painted frequently and it all looks a lot nicer. The mobile phone company gets the wanted attention. And, finally, they take ownership to the colour they have chosen for their brand. It ramains to see if a "green" or "purple" mobile phone company will pop up, since those colours are still "available". A few more pictures with some observations:

It doesn't have to be a house either, it could be a container.

Maybe this one gets new paint tomorrow?

Side by side we stand. Competing!

Even in the remote areas they are present. Side by side with traditional huts/bandas. 

If you cant get one company to paint your house, you might as well do marketing all of them.

All of them, only missing Warid.

The more remote, the less the colours and branding.

The "U" logo.

It's all about U

It might seem like I am favoring Uganda Telecom, but I just think the slogan is very good and strong. Do you agree? Leave a comment.

So, that was my first impression of branding and advertising in Uganda... There will be more to come. 

Now it is all about U! Hope you would like to follow my blog :-)