Culturally appropriate coffins
2007
The Everybody Company was a startup with a novel design for a flat pack coffin for the disaster and cremation market place.
Goal
Learn if the Everybody coffin is desirable in Africa in its current incarnation and suggest a path forward.
Research activities
Literature research, Field research, interviews, Feedback loops
Insights
Field research yielded insights as to what aspects needed to be more culturally appropriate. Burial societies presented new partnership opportunities.
Outcome
Bosa coffin design, feasibility study, business partnership, council partnership, community partnerships. Publications
The Everybody Coffin was originally design for disaster scenarios.
Desktop research explaining why funerals are so common in Botswana and South Africa
Images used to gather coffin design preferences
Participants were questioned about which design carried more status and if that was important to them.
This part of the study was also setup to be run remotely by local helpers to increase information gathering.
Participants could point (mark) to which coffin design they desired and why they like that particular design.
Savings booklets
Recorded semi-structured interviews reveal exactly how burial societies could pay for their funeral. It is something that members save for on a weekly basis.
Proud member Mmaboshaleko Gaelebale from Molepolole
Prototype 3 & 4, Community acceptance
The design phase used a series of prototypes to facilitate conversations with community stakeholders, individuals and funeral parlours.
Design for Emerging markets, case study 2009
Southern African funeral culture
Prototyping
Recommendations
“Jan Willem provided us with crucial market information and important connections in Botswana. He has shown us to be brave, clever, assertive, committed and self empowering especially in new and difficult circumstances. He is persistent and persuasive and able to get the information needed researching on any location or through the internet. He is a real globetrotter and he can perform anywhere. He is a strong and creative project manager, communicating on all levels, who will push for result all by himself or in (front of) a team.”
— Gijs Zijlstra, Founder of The Everybody Company
“Jan Willem is one of the most gifted people I have worked with in the world, his innovative drive matches his ability to provide practical solutions. He is an asset in any company!”