Design Thinking and Bricolage for Frugal Innovations during Crisis

Oly Mishra

doi:10.24840/2183-0606_009.003_0002

Abstract

The rapid spread of COVID-19has created resource-constraints. This study focuses on the application of design thinking in frugal innovations by social entrepreneurs to face the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the case of an Indian social entrepreneur who essentially provides solutions for menstrual health and hygiene to unprivileged and rural women in India. When faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the social entrepreneur re-purposed the manufacturing process and implemented bricolage to produce masks which were the need of the hour. The manufacture of masks was a frugal innovation due to the resource constraints during the pandemic. The research paper is qualitative, and it follows an inductive case study approach. The implementation of design thinking in frugally innovating is established through the content analysis of the interviews of the social entrepreneur and her team members. It presents practical implications of design-thinking for frugal innovations by social entrepreneurs in adversity.

Highlights

This paper proposes a theoretical approach that studies the implementation of design thinking for frugal innovations by social entrepreneurs during adversity
When enquired about the women who were a part of their women entrepreneurs’ network, they informed that they were worried about their income as the lockdown had led to the stoppage of their income from agricultural and other activities
The research paper shows that the social enterprise has implemented design thinking, design feel, and bricolage to make a frugal innovation possible in the form of COVID-19 protection item, i.e., masks, which are supplied through existing supply chain networks to people at the bottom of the pyramid

Summary

Introduction

This paper proposes a theoretical approach that studies the implementation of design thinking for frugal innovations by social entrepreneurs during adversity. The pandemic presented many challenges to the social entrepreneurs, especially the ones in developing countries. According to Short et al (2009), in emerging economies like India, social entrepreneurs knowingly locate their operations in unattractive and rural areas to create more social impact. The most vulnerable section includes the ones who experience poverty or social exclusion. This is evident more in developing countries like India. Such rapid changes and constraints have taught many lessons for the future. This pandemic has taught social entrepreneurs to focus on finding new ways to make their products affordable

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