research-article

"If god gives me the chance i will design my own phone": exploring mobile phone repair and postcolonial approaches to design in rural Kenya

Authors:

Tawanna R. Dillahunt,

Nightingale Simiyu,

Sharon AlakaAuthors Info & Claims

UbiComp '15: Proceedings of the 2015 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing

Pages 463 - 473

https://doi.org/10.1145/2750858.2804249

Published: 07 September 2015 Publication History

Abstract

This article focuses on "fundi wa simu," (mobile phone repairers) in rural Kenya and their ideas about mobile phone design. Our study design and analysis were guided by ideas from postcolonial computing; we use our qualitative findings, and outcomes from a drawing exercise, to show existing flaws in mobile phone design, and to explore how repairers' knowledge can lead to handsets that are better suited for rural Kenyans. Our argument is that, by engaging with repairers "[on] their own terms," technologists can expand conversations around designing for the 'developing' world that go beyond building novel smartphone applications. In fact, such conversations can also include reimagining mobile phones, and supporting local repairers' efforts to manufacture them. We conclude by discussing ways to improve upon postcolonial approaches to technology design.

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Cited By

Kouaho WEpstein D(2024)Investigating Perspectives of and Experiences with Low Cost Commercial Fitness WearablesProceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies10.1145/36997408:4(1-22)Online publication date: 21-Nov-2024
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Wyche SOlson DKaranu MOmondi EOlonyo M(2024)Limitations of Using Mobile Phones for Managing Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Among Youth in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Implications for mHealthProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36870458:CSCW2(1-19)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
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Bagalkot NShinde SVerdezoto NManuel GRamakka MIitumba NOrtega DDinesh TDensmore M(2024)Collective Infrastructural Speculations: A Situated Understanding of Pasts, Presents & Futures of Resilient Community Networks.Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2024: Full Papers - Volume 110.1145/3666094.3666111(159-172)Online publication date: 11-Aug-2024
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Index Terms

"If god gives me the chance i will design my own phone": exploring mobile phone repair and postcolonial approaches to design in rural Kenya
1. Human-centered computing

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cover image ACM Conferences

UbiComp '15: Proceedings of the 2015 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing

September 2015

1302 pages

ISBN:9781450335744

DOI:10.1145/2750858

General Chairs:
Kenji Mase
Nagoya University, JP
,
Marc Langheinrich
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), CH
,
Daniel Gatica-Perez
IDIAP-EPFL, CH
,
Program Chairs:
Hans Gellersen
Lancaster University, UK
,
Tanzeem Choudhury
Cornell University
,
Koji Yatani
Univerisity of Tokyo, JP

Copyright © 2015 ACM.

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Published: 07 September 2015

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Michigan State University's College of Communication Arts and Sciences
University of Michigan's School of Information

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UbiComp '15

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Yahoo! Japan
SIGMOBILE
FX Palo Alto Laboratory, Inc.
ACM
Rakuten Institute of Technology
Microsoft
Bell Labs
SIGCHI
Panasonic
Telefónica
ISTC-PC

UbiComp '15: The 2015 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing

September 7 - 11, 2015

Osaka, Japan

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UbiComp '15 Paper Acceptance Rate 101 of 394 submissions, 26%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 764 of 2,912 submissions, 26%

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Cited By

Kouaho WEpstein D(2024)Investigating Perspectives of and Experiences with Low Cost Commercial Fitness WearablesProceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies10.1145/36997408:4(1-22)Online publication date: 21-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3699740
Wyche SOlson DKaranu MOmondi EOlonyo M(2024)Limitations of Using Mobile Phones for Managing Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Among Youth in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Implications for mHealthProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36870458:CSCW2(1-19)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3687045
Bagalkot NShinde SVerdezoto NManuel GRamakka MIitumba NOrtega DDinesh TDensmore M(2024)Collective Infrastructural Speculations: A Situated Understanding of Pasts, Presents & Futures of Resilient Community Networks.Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2024: Full Papers - Volume 110.1145/3666094.3666111(159-172)Online publication date: 11-Aug-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3666094.3666111
Chidziwisano GCummings APotnis DJalakasi M(2024)Understanding Urban Women's Interaction with Domestic Technologies in Malawi: Advancing Feminist Theories in HCIACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies10.1145/36502042:2(1-25)Online publication date: 5-Mar-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3650204
Ferreira P(2024)Examining the "Local" in ICT4D: A Postcolonial Perspective on ParticipationProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642748(1-13)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
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Adamu M(2023)No More “Solutionism” or “Saviourism” in Futuring African HCI: A ManyfestoACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/357181130:2(1-42)Online publication date: 13-Apr-2023
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Reitmaier TWallington EKlejch OMarkl NLam-Yee-Mui LPearson JJones MBell PRobinson S(2023)Situating Automatic Speech Recognition Development within Communities of Under-heard Language SpeakersProceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3544548.3581385(1-17)Online publication date: 19-Apr-2023
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Anuyah OBadillo-Urquiola KMetoyer R(2023)Characterizing the Technology Needs of Vulnerable Populations for Participation in Research and Design by Adopting Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsProceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3544548.3581221(1-20)Online publication date: 19-Apr-2023
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de la Harpe ROgundaini O(2023)A Proposed Transformation Service Design Research Framework for Underserved SettingsService Design for Emerging Technologies Product Development10.1007/978-3-031-29306-1_5(73-86)Online publication date: 21-Jul-2023
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