Payments is an especially interesting example to take in emerging markets. The delta between developed and emerging is often especially huge in payments and banking.
I was part of the founding team of a mobile payments startup SnapScan (http://www.snapscan.co.za/) in South Africa. We had to flip the "US" models around completely. Informal merchants often had no bank accounts and only feature phones, but many consumers had credit cards and smartphones.
We ended up giving QR stickers to merchants, notifying of payment success via SMS and depositing payments in an "instant" bank account that they could withdraw cash from ATMs without a card (just their feature phone).
Looking at how people pay in the US, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen South Africa (or a similar country) first hand.
Isn't good design always specific to the environment in which it functions, though? Or is that something contested?
"Looking at how people pay on Venus, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen Earth (or a similar planet) first hand." (sorry ;)
"Looking at how people pay in Massachusetts, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen California first hand."
(practically identical)
"Looking at how people pay in the US, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen Germany first hand."
(probably mostly the same, but I haven't been to Germany recently)
"Looking at how people pay in the US, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen New Zealand first hand."
(Looks mostly the same on the surface, but NZ relies heavily on a system called EFTPOS)
"Looking at how people pay in South Africa, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen Kenya first hand."
(probably very similar, but from what I gather there are some differences. I haven't been to South Africa)
"Looking at how people pay in the US, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen Kenya first hand."
(very different. M-Pesa is king in Kenya)
"Looking at how people pay on Venus, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen Earth first hand."
(theoretical maximum difference)
Fun fact: Germany is very reliant on cash, because Germans have been traumatized by hyperinflation and depression etc., and their cash money is a symbol of stability.
I'm German and I don't even have a credit card, which is only occasionally a problem when 1. trying to book a hotel or 2. when buying stuff in US online shops. Number 2 is solved by Paypal, however.
I was part of the founding team of a mobile payments startup SnapScan (http://www.snapscan.co.za/) in South Africa. We had to flip the "US" models around completely. Informal merchants often had no bank accounts and only feature phones, but many consumers had credit cards and smartphones.
We ended up giving QR stickers to merchants, notifying of payment success via SMS and depositing payments in an "instant" bank account that they could withdraw cash from ATMs without a card (just their feature phone).
Looking at how people pay in the US, I would think that our approach wouldn't have made any sense to someone who hadn't seen South Africa (or a similar country) first hand.