How design process for the Base of the Pyramid differs from that for the Top of the Pyramid

• We compared design processes for the BOP and TOP markets.
• Designers in the BOP sessions used problem driven strategy.
• Designers in the TOP sessions used solution driven strategy.
• BOP sessions were more information intensive.
• Design for the BOP can help to practice and improve a different set of skills.

The base (BOP) and the top (TOP) of the world income pyramid represent the poor people and the people from developed countries, respectively. The design of products for the BOP is an important ingredient of the poverty reduction approach that combines business development with poverty alleviation. However, the current understanding of the design for the BOP is limited. This study, using a protocol analysis, compared design processes for the BOP and TOP markets. The results indicate the difference between the design processes for these markets in terms of the design strategy employed by the designers (i.e. problem driven, solution driven strategy), their requirements handling behaviour, and their information behaviour.