Ethnographic Research and Usability testing

As the Lead Researcher, I designed and executed the research plan, leveraging qualitative and quantitative methods to extract actionable insights.

Multiple locations in North India, Western and Southern India

1️⃣ Exploratory In-Depth Interviews 🎤
To gain a deep understanding of farmers' purchasing behaviors, we conducted semi-structured interviews in real-world settings.

- Farmers were selected across different farm sizes, crop types, and digital experience levels to ensure representative insights.
- Instead of direct questioning, we used recall-based storytelling to uncover genuine purchasing patterns.
- Insights were cross-verified through observations and purchase records, reducing reliance on self-reported data.

2️⃣ Usability Testing & Interaction Analysis 📱
Once we understood how farmers made purchasing decisions, we tested the digital platform's usability to see if it supported their natural workflow.

- Farmers were asked to perform common tasks on the platform, simulating actual purchasing scenarios.
- Participants verbalized their thought process while navigating, helping us capture confusion points and usability gaps.
- Observed non-verbal cues, hesitation, and barriers to digital adoption.

3️⃣ Iterative Testing & Continuous Refinement 🔄
To ensure long-term product usability and adoption, we implemented a multi-round usability testing approach:

- Findings from each usability test informed design adjustments, which were tested in subsequent cycles.
- Farmers who tested earlier versions were invited back to validate changes and improvements.
- We tested interface modifications based on usability feedback to determine the most effective improvements.

🔹 Ensured equal representation of farmers from varied backgrounds, eliminating sampling bias.
🔹 Iterative testing helped identify and fix friction points early, improving adoption rates.
🔹 Research guided new onboarding and communication strategies to increase confidence in digital tools.
🔹 Combined behavioral insights and usability feedback ensured the platform matched how farmers actually make decisions. 30% improved adoption rate.

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