# Principles of Product Design in Developing Countries
## 1 Introduction
### Process of New Product Development in the Rural DC Context
These engineered products are often made of materials that do not degrade naturally, or cause harm to people or the environmental, e.g., burning of plastic in open air. Consequently, the products of technological intervention, whether motivated by philanthropy or commerce, may contribute to the waste management problem of the community  
The uplift of developing countries cannot be achieved simply by introduction of technology from outside, as in an interventionist model. Instead there is a need to ensure that the products are appropriate for the region at its current point of advancement, and contribute sustainably to a trajectory of uplift. In this context _advancement_ refers to the knowledge and skills of the inhabitants, and the extent of the fabric of technological services (electricity, transport, water, waste, etc.) available at that point in time. Furthermore, there are invariably cultural considerations when interacting with developing countries. They may be backward relative to the technology of other countries, but they have cultures of their own that may have a long history. They have ways of life that may in some ways be healthier and more content than available to people in developed countries. The introduction of new technology and availability of new products changes that culture, and it cannot be assumed that every such introduction of technological progress is automatically beneficial for the health of people and their environment. Hence there is a moral obligation to implement technology that is consistent with the culture of the community, and this necessitates an element of co-determination rather than imposition of technology solutions. Working with the community, learning their methods & cultural customs, and using collaborative methods to reach solutions--these are more important than merely accelerating as quickly as possible up the technology development tree. Communities are on a journey, and technology interventions need to be sustainable for their current position on that locus. Solution suitability in a rural DC context does not depend on financial and technical feasibility alone, but must also account for local environmental and socio-cultural dynamics. It has been observed that many rural electrification projects have failed as a result of underestimating the importance of considering these latter factors [23]. Other examples of failed technology transfer in developed countries are the move to agricultural monocultures with consequence environmental damage. Several major enablers to the success of a project have been identified as community involvement, anti-corruption measures, standardization of practices and the banning of bargaining agents [24]. These factors are less important in developed countries where operational infrastructure is more regulated and standardized, and higher levels of maintenance expertise are available. There have also been many successes, such as microenterprises around the provision of charging stations for mobile phones, solar powered lighting, medicine, and services such as banking delivered over mobile phone networks. Consequently, there are also business opportunities in product development for developing countries, and these may be at the small and large organizational scale. Assisting local people to earn an income by entrepreneurial activities around new technology is therefore also a way to ensure that the technology interventions are sustainable in the community. Large organizations in developed countries have the resources to apply technology to develop new products for developing countries, and hence open new markets for themselves. Part of their marketing design therefore is the _placement_: how they distribute the product, service it, and facilitate its disposal at the end of its life cycle. Related to that is the decision of whether or not to involve local people in the business model, and we suggest this is potentially an important factor in the design of the route to market.