Kisan Mitr – A Mobile Application for Indian Farmers
Industry- Technology | Farming
Project Overview
Client: 2022 (Theoretical Academic Project)
Tools: Figma, Illustrator, Adobe XD, Pen & Paper
Project Background
With the growing adoption of smartphones in rural India, this conceptual mobile application was designed to improve access to relevant agricultural information and services. The aim was to support farmers with knowledge, training, and communication tools that can help them combat common challenges such as a lack of access to market rates, new techniques, equipment, and government benefits.
Role & Responsibility
As the sole designer, I led the project from user research to wireframing and final UI design. My responsibilities included:
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Conducting field and desk research
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Interviewing real farmers in Punjab
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Defining user personas
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Structuring information architecture
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Creating wireframes and visual designs
Problem
Small and marginal farmers in India face ongoing issues including:
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Limited knowledge of market conditions
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Unawareness of modern farming techniques
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Lack of access to affordable tools and government schemes
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Exploitation in pricing and loan systems
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Despite growing digitization, farmers were still reliant on outdated tools and had little access to real-time, useful information.
Feature Spotlight: Digital Cheque Deposit (POC)
Goal: Enable users to deposit cheques digitally via the mobile app
UI/UX Considerations:
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Simple step-by-step capture process
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Clear confirmation and receipt post-deposit
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Help icons and microcopy to guide users unfamiliar with digital cheque deposits
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Mobile camera permissions and image quality indicators for clarity
Stakeholder Feedback:
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The feature was well received internally and appreciated for its potential to reduce reliance on branch visits and manual processing.
[Placeholder for visuals: Wireframes and final screens of cheque deposit flow]
Research
Primary Research
I conducted field research in Moga District, Punjab, where I interacted directly with farmers. They welcomed the opportunity to share their lived experiences, highlighting deep-rooted financial, educational, and infrastructural challenges.
Examples of Insights:
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Heavy dependence on private schools due to the poor quality of government education
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Reliance on banks for loans but inability to repay due to low crop rates
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High costs of fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery, often purchased on loan
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Minimal use of smartphones — basic phones were still common
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Feelings of exploitation at wholesale markets due to lack of pricing control
Secondary Research
Analysis of government and NGO reports revealed systemic issues:
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7 states account for 87.5% of farmer suicides in India, with Maharashtra worst affected
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High input costs (chemicals, seeds, machinery, labor) push farmers into debt
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Policy support exists but fails in implementation, leaving farmers vulnerable
Interviews
Hardyal Singh
Age: 72 years
Land Owned: 6.5 Acres
Q1) What problems are faced by you and your family?
Faced water supply issues in 1988
Lost livestock (cows) during floods
Submersible motors are very expensive
Q2) What problems do you face while selling crops in the wholesale market?
Often have to throw away crops due to poor market rates
Farmers feel they are not in control of their own crop pricing
Have to accept whatever price the buyer offers
Q3) What about your children's education?
Grandchildren study in private schools because of better education and proper uniforms
Government school teachers are often absent or assigned to other duties like conducting the census or collecting data on farmers' machinery and livestock
Q4) How many hours do you work each day?
At least 8–10 hours
Q5) Are you able to earn a profit (Selling Price > Cost Price)?
No, we don’t even recover the cost of production
Q6) Has anyone you know committed suicide?
No
Q7) How long has your family been involved in farming?
Since the time of his grandparents
Q8) Do government policies help you?
Politics plays a major role, but there is no real support from the government
The Swaminathan Report should be implemented; it would be a lifesaver for farmers
The Kisan Mafi Yojana is a good scheme, but it hasn't been implemented in our region
If rice prices are fixed, every farmer in Punjab will start sowing rice
Example: Basmati seeds are bought and planted, with specific fertilizers used for basmati. However, in the wholesale market, basmati is sold at the price of regular rice, and the same rice is later sold to customers as “basmati” in branded packaging
Q9) Do you buy the latest equipment to increase your output?
No, I mostly rent equipment
Q10) Do you use smartphones?
No, I use a basic phone (shows his phone, which is held together with tape)
The motorbike I use was given by my employer
Q11) How much of your income is spent on pesticides?
I purchase fertilizers, manure, and soil on loan
My bank credit limit is ₹3 lakh, and I’ve never been able to repay the full amount
I survive by continuously rotating borrowed money
Q12) If you are in need of money, whom do you approach and why?
I approach the bank because of the low interest rates
Sadhu Singh
Age: Above 55
Land Owned: 15 Acres
Q1) What problems are faced by you and your family?
High expenses on fertilizers
Effects of demonetization
Expensive storage facilities (especially cold storage)
The Swaminathan Report should be implemented
Q2) What problems do you face while selling crops in the wholesale market?
Buyers are not interested in certain crops
Harvesting of potatoes and garlic has stopped due to a lack of buyer demand
Q3) What about your children's education?
They study in private schools
Government schools lack quality education
Q4) How many hours do you work each day?
I work 10–12 hours a day in the fields
Q5) Are you able to earn a profit (Selling Price > Cost Price)?
No
Q6) Has anyone you know committed suicide?
No
Q7) How long has your family been involved in farming?
For the past 44 years
Q8) Do government policies help you?
No, there is no impact. Everything is just in the news
Q9) Do you buy the latest equipment to increase your output?
Farmers take loans to buy machines, but currently, we are not in a position to purchase any new equipment
Q10) Do you use smartphones?
No
Q11) How much of your income is spent on pesticides?
A large portion of the income/savings is spent on pesticides
Q12) If you need money, whom do you approach and why?
Banks, because of their low-interest rates
Collaboration & Process
Primary research revealed systemic challenges faced by farmers, informing the app’s design solutions. Below are the key problems identified and proposed solutions, derived from interviews:
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Education for Children
Problem: Farmers prioritize private schooling for their children due to poor quality in government schools, where teachers are often absent or assigned non-teaching tasks (e.g., census duties). This strains family finances.
Solution: Integrate an educational resource section in the app to provide farmers’ children with access to free or low-cost learning materials, reducing dependency on expensive private schools and supporting community development.
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Price Fixation for Crops
Problem: Farmers lack control over crop prices in wholesale markets, often receiving rates below production costs. The absence of a reliable Minimum Support Price (MSP) implementation exacerbates financial distress.
Solution: Include a real-time market insights feature in the app, displaying crop prices and demand trends to empower farmers to negotiate better rates. Advocate for MSP policy implementation through app-based awareness campaigns.
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Educating Farmers on Modern Trends
Problem: Limited awareness of modern farming techniques and technologies hinders productivity, contributing to financial instability and, in extreme cases, farmer suicides.
Solution: Develop a learning hub with 2-minute videos on modern farming practices, accessible to low-tech-literate users, to boost productivity and reduce economic stress.
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Crop Failure
Problem: Crop losses due to weather, pests, diseases, or market neglect significantly impact farmers’ livelihoods.
Solution: Incorporate a weather and pest alert system in the app, providing early warnings and mitigation tips to minimize crop failure risks.
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Machinery Unavailability
Problem: High costs and limited availability of farming equipment force farmers to rent or forgo modern tools, reducing efficiency.
Solution: Create an app feature to connect farmers with local equipment rental services at affordable rates, improving access to modern machinery.
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Lack of Government Benefits
Problem: Farmers are unable to access government-run programs due to bureaucratic hurdles or lack of awareness, leaving them without critical support.
Solution: Include a dedicated section in the app to guide farmers through available government schemes, with step-by-step instructions for accessing benefits.
Outcome & Feedback
To address these challenges, I proposed the following user-centered design solutions for Kisan Mitr:
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Training Program & Product Access
Solution: Develop offline training workshops to teach farmers modern techniques and app usage, paired with a marketplace feature in the app to provide affordable access to agricultural inputs (e.g., seeds, fertilizers).
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Short Informative Videos
Solution: Create a series of 2-minute videos addressing daily farming challenges, such as pest management and crop planning, hosted in the app’s learning hub.
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Mobile Application
Solution: Build a lightweight mobile app optimized for low-end smartphones, offering market insights, educational content, and a community forum to connect farmers with buyers and financial institutions.
UI/UX Considerations: Prioritized a clean interface with high-contrast colors, large typography, and intuitive icons to accommodate low-tech-literate users. Ensured WCAG-compliant accessibility and offline functionality for rural areas with poor connectivity.
User Persona
Surender Yadav
Age: 39
Occupation: Farmer
About: Hardworking, spends 8–10 hours daily in fields; lives with father, wife, and 3 children. Practices traditional farming learned from his father.
Pain Points: Couldn’t access quality education, limited knowledge of modern farming methods.
Goals:
Plan crops considering climate change
Expand into dairy farming
Interests: Keeps updated on farming news and community activities.
Chintu Raj
Age: 30
Occupation: Farmer
About: Educated, graduated from an open university; lives in a joint family; married with a young daughter.
Pain Points: Fear of being cheated in wholesale crop markets.
Goals:
Improve family livelihood
Adopt modern farming techniques
Interests: Enjoys family time; advocates for his elders to embrace new methods.
Information Architecture & Flow
To simplify interactions, I designed a clear information architecture mapping out farmer needs into intuitive categories:
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Homepage: Crop prices, weather alerts, community updates
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Learning Hub: Video tutorials, articles on modern farming
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Marketplace: Affordable seeds, fertilizers, equipment rentals
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Schemes: Government benefits with guided application flows
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Community Forum: Peer-to-peer support and buyer connections
Inspirations & References
To streamline flows and simplify learning, I drew inspiration from:
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News apps like Inshorts and NDTV for bite-sized content delivery
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Weather apps like AccuWeather for timely alerts
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Learning apps for microlearning patterns
These references informed decisions around content hierarchy, accessibility, and reducing task steps.
Wireframes & Visual Design
I began with low-fidelity wireframes to establish flows, followed by high-fidelity mockups in Figma.
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Color Palette: Warm earthy tones to resonate with rural India
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Iconography: Simplified, recognizable symbols for quick comprehension
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Visual Language: Minimal and clear, prioritizing readability for older farmers
