Last week the Prakti team, including two product design students from India and Germany started a focus group test. Both students are working about improved stoves at Prakti Design Lab for their final thesis. The goal was to get a brief but intense input for their design research about general user perception of single pot stoves used for daily cooking. For this they met eight women from a social group in Kilinayur, Tamil Nadu. The women, aged between 28 and 35, are all housewives besides going to work every day.
In the morning the research started with a vital discussion about the general perception by showing them several different wood fired stoves. So the students found that the users are looking for small size, compactness, factory made for reliability and portability on one hand and for stoves with a big fire, clay for safety and stability on the other.
The second part was about the interaction of the ladies with the stoves by doing a water boiling test. The students observed how the women were starting and controlling the fire. All the ladies were sitting in front of their stoves in the smoke of eight starting fires and none of them was coughing or getting irritated eyes. Just the Prakti Team, who is not used to such a dense smoke and heat, was having watery eyes and difficulty breathing.
Within the third part they learned a lot about general life of an Indian woman by asking questions about their kitchen and households, their religious habits and safety awareness.
It was a very interesting and powerful day thanks to strong engagement and exciting discussions with the ladies and the helpful and sensitive translator.
Carlotta
