Branding Mag: Pearlfisher develops the Haller Farmers App
Pearlfisher, the design agency, along with software workshop Red Badger have come together with a flourishing idea. An agriculture app for farmers at the Haller Foundation in Kenya. The Haller Foundation started out with Dr. Rene Haller, about 50 years ago, to educate communities in rural areas and to teach them how to properly use agricultural techniques.
But one might be asking, a smartphone app for farmers in Kenya? Yes, that’s right. Jonathan Ford, Pearlfisher Founding Partner & CCO commented, “Despite huge levels of poverty and illiteracy in places like Kenya, the vast majority of the population use mobile phones, and smartphone penetration is expected to reach 31% by 2017 (source: GSMA). We recognised that in this instance, digital design had the power to change these peoples’ lives for the better and so, in collaboration with Red Badger, we designed a simple, intuitive app that gives hands-on, relevant solutions to local farmers – helping them live better self-sustainable lives by transforming landscapes, growing food, improving water conservation, and regenerating communities.”
The brand new app enhances low cost, organic, and easy to follow tips. It is set in both English and Swahili. Scrolling down the screen users can find: “Farming” which features planting techniques from how to produce organic insecticides to growing mushrooms and tomatoes; “Tips” where users can discover how to create a bright room with solar bottles or how to collect and reuse water; “Noticeboard” where the farmers can display their products and comments for the community such as “I have mushrooms ready for selling fresh and delicious produce.” And the last one, the “Heroes” section where the brave ones share their real life like Patricia Mwameso, a 50 year old woman who has grown maize, potatoes, and onions along with other products and has earned Farmer of the Year by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2011.
Technology has spread out for good reasons like the ability to share knowledge and enable people’s livelihood and dreams.
