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⭐ 1 Shift: Why These Simple Tech Products Are Secretly Winning The Indian Market

⚡ 1 Tip: Creativity is Subtraction

💊 3 Resources: Creative resources for taking your work to the next level

⭐ Shift

Why These Simple Tech Products Are Secretly Winning The Indian Market?

In this edition of “Designing Near Future”, I want to take you to my motherland. It's been a while since I've been home, yet some innovations resonate so strongly, their success echoes even on the other side of the globe. I've got 3 stories to share with you about products that might seem odd at first but are actually brilliant. If you are from a different part of the world, you will find this fascinating.

These are tales of pinpointing hyper-focused problems and crafting simple bare bones solutions. From radios to calculators, this is going to be a fun one.

1. The Saregama Carvaan

At first glance, the Saregama Carvaan might seem out of place. With so many advanced smart speakers, on-demand music streaming, and high-tech audio gear around, here's a digital music player mimicking an old radio. No flashy screens, no voice commands, just a list of 5,000 songs and some mechanical buttons. Bear in mind this was launched in 2017-18.

But this simplicity is precisely why it works.

The product targets a demographic often overlooked by brands: those who grew up on legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. (That is people who are in their 50s and 60s). It’s a known fact that as people age, their fear of technology grows, and Saregama wanted to alleviate that. Moreover, the elderly cherish independence, and the Carvaan gives them just that – a simple way to enjoy their favorite tunes.

They have sold more than 2M units of their hero product and have since launched multiple variants.

I think I know why this works - the Carvaan offers a direct path to music and memories. There's no need to curate playlists or navigate intricate menus, at least for their target demographic. Its design reintroduced mechanical buttons, knobs, etc for users who missed the tactile feedback of pressing a button, ensuring every detail catered to its user's comfort and familiarity. I mean, this is a product that has 0 learning curve and is a brilliant gift item.

Only 5000 songs… but the curation is a part of the value prop.

Let’s move to another world and then we will revisit this one.

2. PayTM Soundbox

One day, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the big boss of Paytm, bought milk from a shop and made a payment through a Paytm QR code. But the shopkeeper stopped him because he didn't see a message on his phone about the payment. Vijay checked and saw the shopkeeper's phone storage was full, so no new messages could come in. (Yes, a completely possible scenario in India and developing countries). Paytm (The QR payment app) had a feature where the shopkeeper could get a call about the payment, but it wasn't working well either. That's when Vijay thought of the Soundbox. It would make a sound to let the shopkeeper know they got paid.

That’s literally it. A sound… box.

When a customer makes a payment by scanning Paytm’s QR code, the Soundbox notifies the merchant of successful payments with a loud alert in their preferred regional language within seconds. This way, the merchant can attend to other customers without having to constantly check the phone for payment alerts.

Is this dumb? Not at all. If you are an Indian merchant, you would totally get this. This is a trust building product. Paytm said that they processed more than 5 billion digital payment transactions through their Soundbox devices in FY22. They ship 1M units every month according to some sources.

Okay, this video is a great summary of why this product works. If you prefer an article - this is a good one.

ToHands Smart Calculator

A few years ago, Praveen Mishra of ToHands laughed at the idea of a "smart" calculator. But everything changed when he saw a shopkeeper in Bengaluru, trying hard to keep track of her sales and payments. That's when he saw the need for a calculator that could also remember data.

For many small shops back home, a calculator is super important. But these shop owners found modern apps confusing and didn’t have the money for big cash machines. They just wanted a calculator that was easy to use.. but it isn’t just a calculator if it remembers data.

I picked this up from their website - Tohands Smart Calculator is a powerful, easy to use, smart calculator that helps shopkeepers keep track of all income and expense, provides them with daily, weekly, monthly reports and analytics.

This might actually be my favorite one of the 3 stories.

A book keeping tool in a calculator! Neat!

So what’s the shift?

Simple Solutions thriving in a complex world

All these products are incredibly simple. And the fact that these solutions exist is not new. But in a landscape of AI tools and automated software, these products aren’t solutions looking for a market but a well defined need, begging for a solution.

You could probably prototype all 3 in a week (if you know what you are doing). But, here is why they work so brilliantly on a psychological note.

• Cognitive Load: Our brains prefer not to be overwhelmed. Products like the Saregama Carvaan and ToHands' Smart Calculator limit the cognitive load. They present a straightforward function without the noise of unnecessary features, making the user experience intuitive and comforting.

• The Familiarity Principle: Humans are more likely to trust and adopt what feels familiar. In a rapidly changing tech landscape, the products that echo elements of what users already know (like a basic calculator or radio or speaker) yet innovatively address modern challenges stand out.

• Empowerment through Simplicity: By offering tools that are accessible, straightforward, and efficient, these innovations empower their users. They provide agency in a landscape often dominated by complicated, high-tech solutions, ensuring that even those who aren't technologically inclined feel in control.

Exciting lessons to learn:

1. Combine Data with Human Insight: Most solutions would sound illogical or incomplete if you take out one of these core elements out of your process. The best products come from a combination of the right data (5000 all time favourite songs) and the right human insight (Not scaring older people away with tech.)

2. Cultural Complexities: The reason that some of these products are successful is because they are able to navigate the cultural complexities of India. India is a low trust society and certain demographics are considered tech-averse. I have said this before, designing for a monocultural group is easy, designing for a culturally complex group is not.

Complex technology isn't the solution to nuanced problems; it's the thoughtful application of technology that truly makes a difference

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⚡ Tip

"Creativity is subtraction."

Have you ever heard this before? It's not a new idea. Folks like Charles Eames and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry have hinted at something similar. Antoine said “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” When I stumbled upon this line (Creativity is subtraction) in Austin Kleon's book, it clicked in a whole new way for me.

He adds more context:

So, what did Kleon really mean with "creativity is subtraction"?

1. Less is More: At its core, this principle argues for simplicity and clarity. In our world of constant distractions and overwhelming choices, the power lies in paring down, in focusing on what truly matters.

2. Choice: Creativity is as much about what you choose to leave out as it is about what you choose to put in. It's this conscious act of omission that often tells a more impactful story than any addition could.

Now, how can you practically incorporate this into your design process?

• Question Your Elements: Whenever you're working on a design, constantly ask: "Is this essential?" For every element you consider adding, weigh its value against the clarity and focus of your overall design.
  
  

• Limit Your Palette: Set constraints for yourself. Maybe it's using only two fonts, three colors, or a specific set of materials. You'd be surprised how these self-imposed limitations can unlock a world of creativity. I wish I did this when I made my first design portfolio.
  
  

• Iterate by Removing: Once you have a draft or a prototype, look at it with a critical eye. What can you remove while still retaining the essence? Often, this process of subtraction will lead you to a more refined and effective result.

  
  

💊 Resources

3 links to boost your creativity.

• Eyecandy is a super cool database of over 5,000 GIFs representing the very best visual techniques in the world of filmmaking.

• Xnapper is a fun tool that makes your screenshots look amazing. This could be great for case studies and blogs. Currently only available on Mac though.

• An amazing TEDx talk on the science of story telling I stumbled upon last week