Our Approach

In SEADE, we believe that placing users at the heart of our process leads to the most impactful outcomes. This belief drives our use of the Human-Centred Design methodology. Here's how we apply it.

Understanding Our Users

Human-centred design starts with a deep understanding of the people we aim to serve. We define and involve users right from the beginning to ensure their needs and expectations shape the solutions we develop. By identifying who they are, where they are, and what challenges they face, SEADE will develop and deliver cooperation opportunities to the R&I actors in the digital field in Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe designed to meet existing ecosystem barriers and gaps identified through user experience research.

 Main Steps

This methodology employs user-centric principles and iterative processes to address the needs of Research and Innovation in Digital (R&IID) actors in both the European Union (EU) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions. The entire methodology follows an iterative process, ensuring continuous improvement and adaptation. We will revisit and refine our approaches at each stage based on feedback and new insights. The process involves the following stages;

  • To understand the needs of R&IID actors, we will conduct user experience research (UXR) using interviews, workshops, and surveys. This research will gather qualitative and quantitative data to explore stakeholders' attitudes and behaviors.

  • Collected data will be analyzed through Affinity Mapping, grouping similar findings into categories and themes. This process helps us see patterns and common issues among stakeholders.

  • We will conduct Network Effects Mapping (NEM) to understand relational bonds and dependencies. This step focuses on the differences in operational contexts between the EU and SSA, aiding in service expansion and piloting actions.

  • Based on the insights gained, we will brainstorm and design new services and improvements. This will involve integrating successful elements from previous projects and tailoring them to meet the specific needs of R&IID actors.

  • New services and tools will be developed and integrated into the SEADE Digital Environment. These will include user dashboards, job boards, technology offers, and funding opportunities, providing engagement points for collaboration.

  • The new services will be tested by monitoring user attraction and engagement. Feedback and data analysis will help refine and improve the services to ensure they meet the needs of R&IID actors effectively.

This iterative methodology ensures our actions are responsive and evidence-based, allowing us to adapt to changing needs and contexts while refining prototypes. By continuously looping through these steps, we aim to deliver services that provide maximum impact for R&IID actors in the EU and SSA regions.

Our Pilot Regions

The new services developed during the project were piloted within the four target SSA regions which were selected based on the network and presence of our partner office as well as strategically ensuring the coverage of the SSA geographical coverage.

  • Senegal

  • Ghana

  • Kenya

  • South Africa