Papers

Blockchain for Socio-Economic Impact: Financial inclusion by environment-centric service design

Format: Papers, RSD11, Topic: Economics & Orgs, Topic: Socioecological Design, Topic: Sociotechnical Systems

Mothilal Loganathan, Pavan Kalyan, and Vishruth Kumar

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India

Facilitators: Praveen Nahar and Sahil Thappa

The blockchain is often viewed as a tech-savvy solution for profit-making businesses. However, it has an immense potential to solve global problems with its core of decentralisation. We wanted to explore a systemic approach to using blockchain as a tool for social, economic and ecological good.

We created a hypothetical company, “Environ,” to address blockchain for Socio-Economic Impact. Financial Inclusion, Doughnut Economy, and technology adaptation were the primary issues we targeted to solve. Participatory workshops, design sprints, expert sessions, and user interviews were conducted to structure the brief. A speculative service is designed as a first pilot project on Environ blockchain platform targeting Indian farmers to benefit India’s agricultural sector following a bottom-up approach (Human Centric Design).

The system comprises two services. The first service is aimed at providing affordable and accessible financial services to farmers through microfinance and micro-credit systems. The second service is aimed at creating a transparent agricultural supply chain to reduce mediators and supply-demand volatility. Thus, we aim to create an inclusive and sustainable economy by solving poverty and climate change in the agricultural sector.

KEYWORDS:  financial inclusion, supply chain, agricultural sector, social Impact, blockchain technology, decentralisation, microfinance, micro credits, inclusive economy, human-centric design, accessibility, doughnut economy, service design.

REFLECTION QUESTION: How can we utilise blockchain technology to create a cascading positive Socio-Economic impact?

Sketchnote by Javed Ali

VIEWS

N/A

 

Citation Data

Author(s): Mothilal Loganathan, Pavan Kalyan, and Vishruth Kumar
Year: 2022
Title: Blockchain for Socio-Economic Impact: Financial inclusion by environment-centric service design
Published in: Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design
Volume: RSD11
Article No.: 093
URL: https://rsdsymposium.org/blockchain-for-socio-economic-impact-financial-inclusion-by-environment-centric-service-design
Host: University of Brighton
Location: Brighton, UK
Symposium Dates: October 3–16, 2022
First published: 23 September 2022
Last update: 30 April 2023
Publisher Identification: ISSN 2371-8404

Copyright Information

Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design (ISSN 2371-8404) are published annually by the Systemic Design Association, a non-profit scholarly association leading the research and practice of design for complex systems: 3803 Tønsberg, Norway (922 275 696).

Attribution

Open Access article published under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License. This permits anyone to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or form according to the licence terms.

Suggested citation format (APA)

Author(s). (20##). Article title. Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design, RSD##. Article ##. rsdsymposium.org/LINK

Publishing with RSD

Proceedings of Relating Systems Thinking and Design are published online and include the contributions for each format.

Papers and presentations are entered into a single-blind peer-review process, meaning reviewers see the authors’ names but not vice versa. Reviewers consider the quality of the proposed contribution and whether it addresses topics of interest or raises relevant issues in systemic design. The review process provides feedback and possible suggestions for modifications.

The Organising Committee reviews and assesses workshops and systems maps & exhibits with input from reviewers and the Programme Committee.

Editor: Cheryl May
Advisors:
Peter Jones
Ben Sweeting

The Scholars Spiral

In 2022, the Systemic Design Association adopted the scholars spiral—a cyclic non-hierarchical approach to advance scholarship—and in 2023, launched Contexts—The Systemic Design Journal. Together, the RSD symposia and Contexts support the vital emergence of supportive opportunities for scholars and practitioners to publish work in the interdisciplinary field of systemic design.

The Systemic Design Association's membership ethos is to co-create the socialization and support for all members to contribute their work, find feedback and collaboration where needed, and pursue their pathways toward research and practice outcomes that naturally build a vital design field for the future.

SDA MEMBERSHIP

Verified by MonsterInsights