Leveraging Design Thinking and Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Innovation: The Case of ITIKI Title

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_4How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Design Thinking; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Sustainable Innovation; Artificial Intelligence; Drought Early Warning Systems; Agro-Climate Intelligence; Climate-Linked Health Innovation; Participatory Co-Design; Climate Adaptation; Inclusive Technology

Abstract

Achieving sustainable innovation in resource-constrained settings requires inclusive, context-aware approaches that prioritise end-user participation. This paper presents the ITIKI (Information Technology and Indigenous Knowledge with Intelligence) system as a case study of how Design Thinking (DT) can drive socially embedded and scalable innovations. Originally developed as a drought early warning system that integrates Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) with scientific data and artificial intelligence (AI) driven forecasts, ITIKI has since evolved into a versatile innovation framework applied across agriculture and health. The paper documents the iterative, human-centred design journey that led to the development of three impactful subsystems: ITIKI Plus (crop decision support), MOEWS (malaria early warning), and ITIKI-K (agro-climate prediction). All three emerged from participatory co-design processes with rural communities in Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa, achieving significant improvements in adoption, accuracy, and societal relevance. Results demonstrate increased crop yields (up to 14%), enhanced forecast precision (up to 98%), and strong user uptake, particularly among women. The findings reinforce the potential of DT to bridge traditional and scientific knowledge systems, foster inclusive innovation ecosystems, and address global challenges aligned with multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Muthoni Masinde
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - Leveraging Design Thinking and Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainable Innovation: The Case of ITIKI Title
BT  - Proceedings of Botho University International Research Conference (BUIRC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 58
EP  - 76
SN  - 3005-155X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_4
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-906-3_4
ID  - Masinde2025
ER  -