Cases

From the field, not the deck.

60+ engagements across 34+ countries. Each one began with weeks of listening in-community, in-language, never a literature review.

Submit new case

FILTER

Adolescent 360-amplify

The A360 project was refined and contextualised for Kenya as Binti Shupavu, a programme that supports adolescent girls to access modern contraception, build economic skills and reclaim control over their futures. The project is now in adaptive implementation, guided by the insights co-created with the girls it aims to empower.

Read the case →

Youth-Led Research in Kenya

The process produced co-designed, youth-friendly reproductive health service models, outlining clear opportunities for improving accessibility, communication and provider engagement. It also identified critical advocacy issues—including policy and guideline constraints—that now inform targeted advocacy objectives aimed at creating a more enabling SRHR environment for young people.

Read the case →

Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan.

SPRING Accelerator – Design Research for women-focused companies

Twenty enterprises gained deep user insights and clear direction on how to enhance their impact on girls and women. Examples include onboarding farmers into rabbit farming for Himalayan Rabbit Nepal, redesigning mobile-money agent models for Khalti, and strengthening the viability of Women in Digital’s ICT-skills training for women. The process equipped companies with actionable strategies grounded in the lived realities of their beneficiaries

Read the case →

Kenya and Nigeria

CFYE – Human-Centered Design Coaching of African Companies

Thirty companies in Kenya and Nigeria now actively apply HCD to strengthen scale-up strategies that generate youth employment. Kenyan food-processing entrepreneurs validated new product concepts and discovered customers would pay higher prices than assumed, boosting viability and farmer margins. A Nigerian digital-payments company redesigned both its customer journey and agent-onboarding process, reducing friction and improving performance. Following these successes, Proportion has been contracted to support all future CFYE cohorts across Africa for the next three years.

Read the case →

AWEP – Accelerating female CEOs in Ethiopia

Twenty participating companies demonstrated significant transformation within three months, strengthening their business strategies and gaining confidence in articulating their value propositions. All women CEOs pitched to local investors, with three securing direct investment—marking a powerful step toward a more resilient, competitive women-led SME ecosystem in Ethiopia.

Read the case →

Targeted Behavioral Design Assessment for improved Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding Nutrition (MIYCN)

The process generated actionable insights and validated recommendations, alongside prototypes ready for implementation. By transferring these prototypes to local actors, the program strengthened ownership and positioned communities to drive sustainable, nutrition-focused change.

Read the case →

See a case that maps to your context?