Design for Small Businesses in India—Helping the Real Entrepreneurs

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) set in 2015 by the United Nations aims to achieve a better and sustainable future for all, intended to accomplish by 2030. This paper presents the innovative and creative efforts taken up by a multidisciplinary team of designers, researchers, engineers, and architects worked on a pilot project, which was presented to the Ministry of Micro-Small Medium Enterprises (MSME), India. The focus of the project was to understand the challenges faced by a non-organized business or small business trades ranging from tea vendors, vegetable vendors, etc. How to design interventions can bring an improved ‘value perception’ in the society while providing ease of work, more earnings, cleanliness, and overall well-being to these hardworking people in India. Design is considered an essential strategy for innovation to create differentiation in the market. During this project, the designing is explored as a catalyst to bring positive social change. The team studied selected popular trades, which are generally present in every town of India, by conducting field trips, photography, and observational studies to collect data. The map of problems versus opportunities was generated. The specific requirements derived from this study offered rich insights and established the need for design interventions at the product-service-system level. Further, a co-design workshop was conducted with design students focusing on future of vending, improving employment opportunities in small businesses through mobility. The paper highlights the design process, creative explorations, and design developments of solutions. This pilot project provides future directions and lists ample opportunities for designers to play an active role in bringing social transformation.