Design Thinking and Innovation in the Informal Industries in Kenya
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Date
2023-05-30
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Publisher
Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting
Abstract
In the recent past there have been calls to have Kenyan products labeled ‘Made in Kenya’. By doing
so, the proponents believe that products ‘Made in Kenya’ will flock the local stores and even find
their way to the foreign markets, thereby making Kenya proud of itself as well as earning the much needed foreign exchange. While ‘Made in Kenya’ labeled products would be a great step forward to
Kenya’s economic wellbeing, showcase talents and skills of the youth and a boost to its image in the
global market, the low technology predominantly used in Kenya and lack of design thinking, still
remain the greatest impediment to innovation. Using low technology in manufacturing usually results
in high production costs and lack of capacity to launch mass production in response to acute
increase in market demands. For example, the informal manufacturing sector in Kenya commonly
referred to as Jua Kali, is a collection of semi-organized, unregulated, smaller ventures that employ
a large number of people and rely on low-level technologies. A significant amount of industrial output
is devoted to meeting basic requirements, such as the provision of low-cost consumer goods and
services. Wood and furniture, metal products, glass and pottery, clothes, and leather are all
produced in this industry. The lack of design thinking and low-level technology used in the
production process obviously results in more man-hour on each unit produced, yet this is rarely considered on the final price of the product. The prices to a large scale, are usually concerned with
the cost of materials without considering other hidden costs. The drive is to make the products
affordable to low-income consumers, in order to satisfy the traders’ basic needs. In a wider
perspective, this study focused on the application of design thinking and its impact on innovations in
the informal industries in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to establish; the application of design
thinking as a system of feasibility to increase innovation in the informal industries in Kenya, the
application of design thinking as a system of desirability to increase innovation in the informal
industries in Kenya and its impact on the innovation in the informal industries in Kenya, as well as
the application of design thinking as a system of viability to increase innovation in the informal
industries in Kenya. This study reviewed secondary sources and investigations others have
previously conducted in relation to the title of the study. Conventional content analysis was used to
analyze data. The process of analysis began with the development of the research questions, then
the identification of the dataset, and thorough evaluation of the dataset. Our findings deepen the
current understanding about policy innovation and technological intervention in the informal
industries in Kenya. The findings could also benefit the Government of Kenya, Kenya Association of
Manufacturers and Juakali Associations, in terms of policy formulation and enhancement of sector
performance.
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Keywords
Technology; design thinking; innovation; informal sector