Asia Resource Development
Partnering with communities in rural Myanmar to shape their own development
We partnered with Asia-Resource Development (ARD) to prove that design research could deliver deeper community insights than traditional aid approaches. Through immersive fieldwork in a rural Myanmar village, we helped ARD understand the everyday realities of community life and design development programs grounded in what people actually need.
Outcomes
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Produced a printed report rich with ethnographic vignettes and documentary material that communicated the complexities and challenges of village life
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Presented research findings to ministers of the new Myanmar government as a foundation for future programs and policy
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Our insights helped ARD design targeted aid and development programs in partnership with Myanmar government ministries
Services
Sectors
Our research documented both immediate and long-term development possibilities in a broad number of areas, including health, energy, education, water and micro-finance.
Dr Reuben Stanton, Non-executive Director & Co-Founder
Immersive research shaped by community insights
To understand the challenges of daily life in a rural Myanmar village, we designed a research approach that adapted day by day — letting each conversation shape our next questions.
Alongside ARD and local community liaisons, we toured the village, visiting its medical building and primary school. We conducted 40 interviews with individuals, families, and community groups, gaining deep insight into everyday practices around health, education, water, and energy use.
We documented our findings through photography and videography, enabling us to reflect and report quickly and effectively.
Our research revealed the everyday realities of life in rural Myanmar — insights that helped ARD and Myanmar government ministers imagine community-led approaches to development grounded in what people actually experience.
