Rethinking the Service of Domestic Work in Urban India (deep dive)
When
May - June 2024
Duration
6 weeks
Category
May - June 2024
Key info
Long paper presented at ServDes 2025, IIT Hyderabad
Methods
Interviews, field shadowing, journey studies, ecosystem mapping, service blueprinting, pattern language aided ideation.
Outcomes
Household–worker agreement scaffolds, dispute path starter, storyboards, blueprint for pilots
When
May - June 2024
Duration
6 weeks
Category
May - June 2024
Key info
Long paper presented at ServDes 2025, IIT Hyderabad
Methods
Interviews, field shadowing, journey studies, ecosystem mapping, service blueprinting, pattern language aided ideation.
Outcomes
Household–worker agreement scaffolds, dispute path starter, storyboards, blueprint for pilots
When
May - June 2024
Duration
6 weeks
Category
May - June 2024
Key info
Long paper presented at ServDes 2025, IIT Hyderabad
Methods
Interviews, field shadowing, journey studies, ecosystem mapping, service blueprinting, pattern language aided ideation.
Outcomes
Household–worker agreement scaffolds, dispute path starter, storyboards, blueprint for pilots
We mapped how households in a city find and manage domestic work, showed where trust breaks and designed simple ways to make everyday agreements fair and clear. Translated our extensive research into a paper that was recently published at ServDes25 (service design conference @ IIT-Hyd.) Was invited to speak at the conference about our work.
We mapped how households in a city find and manage domestic work, showed where trust breaks and designed simple ways to make everyday agreements fair and clear. Translated our extensive research into a paper that was recently published at ServDes25 (service design conference @ IIT-Hyd.) Was invited to speak at the conference about our work.
We mapped how households in a city find and manage domestic work, showed where trust breaks and designed simple ways to make everyday agreements fair and clear. Translated our extensive research into a paper that was recently published at ServDes25 (service design conference @ IIT-Hyd.) Was invited to speak at the conference about our work.
Was invited to present our paper at ServDes '25 (premier service design global conference)
Domestic work in India is high volume and low formalization. The work is discovered through neighbors and building staff. Agreements are verbal. When the relationship strains, there is no neutral path to fix it. I scoped a discovery sprint across three cities to map how discovery, onboarding, daily service, and exit are handled in practice. Field work focused on Bengaluru with complementary probes in Bareilly and Pune. Used this to define a service problem that can be acted on without waiting for new law.
Domestic work in India is high volume and low formalization. The work is discovered through neighbors and building staff. Agreements are verbal. When the relationship strains, there is no neutral path to fix it. I scoped a discovery sprint across three cities to map how discovery, onboarding, daily service, and exit are handled in practice. Field work focused on Bengaluru with complementary probes in Bareilly and Pune. Used this to define a service problem that can be acted on without waiting for new law.
Domestic work in India is high volume and low formalization. The work is discovered through neighbors and building staff. Agreements are verbal. When the relationship strains, there is no neutral path to fix it. I scoped a discovery sprint across three cities to map how discovery, onboarding, daily service, and exit are handled in practice. Field work focused on Bengaluru with complementary probes in Bareilly and Pune. Used this to define a service problem that can be acted on without waiting for new law.
Problem framing and context window
Problem framing and context window
Problem framing and context window
The study combined qualitative depth with lightweight quantification. Seven semi structured interviews with domestic workers captured routines, risk, and control points. A survey with fifty two employers mapped expectations and breakdowns during hiring and payment. One day shadowing runs gave me time on task and coordination friction. Policy and literature reviews grounded the limits of what a local service can change. All primary data was organized into a stakeholder map, an ecosystem model, and a blueprint that spans frontstage and backstage flows.
The study combined qualitative depth with lightweight quantification. Seven semi structured interviews with domestic workers captured routines, risk, and control points. A survey with fifty two employers mapped expectations and breakdowns during hiring and payment. One day shadowing runs gave me time on task and coordination friction. Policy and literature reviews grounded the limits of what a local service can change. All primary data was organized into a stakeholder map, an ecosystem model, and a blueprint that spans frontstage and backstage flows.
The study combined qualitative depth with lightweight quantification. Seven semi structured interviews with domestic workers captured routines, risk, and control points. A survey with fifty two employers mapped expectations and breakdowns during hiring and payment. One day shadowing runs gave me time on task and coordination friction. Policy and literature reviews grounded the limits of what a local service can change. All primary data was organized into a stakeholder map, an ecosystem model, and a blueprint that spans frontstage and backstage flows.
Method stack and research operations
Method stack and research operations
Method stack and research operations
Discovery runs on social capital. Corridors and WhatsApp groups act as the matching layer. Platforms are secondary.
Trust forms around time windows, keys, and access. Wage is necessary but not sufficient.
Clarity before day one is the highest leverage move. When tasks, time, leave, and extras are explicit, conflict volume drops.
People need a neutral path when talks stall. Local and low cost first. Policy facing options next.
Visual prompts outperform narrative text for low friction adoption at home.
Discovery runs on social capital. Corridors and WhatsApp groups act as the matching layer. Platforms are secondary.
Trust forms around time windows, keys, and access. Wage is necessary but not sufficient.
Clarity before day one is the highest leverage move. When tasks, time, leave, and extras are explicit, conflict volume drops.
People need a neutral path when talks stall. Local and low cost first. Policy facing options next.
Visual prompts outperform narrative text for low friction adoption at home.
Discovery runs on social capital. Corridors and WhatsApp groups act as the matching layer. Platforms are secondary.
Trust forms around time windows, keys, and access. Wage is necessary but not sufficient.
Clarity before day one is the highest leverage move. When tasks, time, leave, and extras are explicit, conflict volume drops.
People need a neutral path when talks stall. Local and low cost first. Policy facing options next.
Visual prompts outperform narrative text for low friction adoption at home.
System findings and design levers
System findings and design levers
System findings and design levers
The blueprint documents how a worker is discovered, shortlisted, trialed, and onboarded. It shows what the employer sees and what the worker does to hold multiple jobs and routes in a day. Backstage layers include neighbor referrals, RWA norms, building access, and ad hoc conflict resolution. The model highlights failure points such as first week ambiguity and no check in. It also shows the non human actors. Keys, gates, and time windows are the real control points that govern the service regardless of intent.
The blueprint documents how a worker is discovered, shortlisted, trialed, and onboarded. It shows what the employer sees and what the worker does to hold multiple jobs and routes in a day. Backstage layers include neighbor referrals, RWA norms, building access, and ad hoc conflict resolution. The model highlights failure points such as first week ambiguity and no check in. It also shows the non human actors. Keys, gates, and time windows are the real control points that govern the service regardless of intent.
The blueprint documents how a worker is discovered, shortlisted, trialed, and onboarded. It shows what the employer sees and what the worker does to hold multiple jobs and routes in a day. Backstage layers include neighbor referrals, RWA norms, building access, and ad hoc conflict resolution. The model highlights failure points such as first week ambiguity and no check in. It also shows the non human actors. Keys, gates, and time windows are the real control points that govern the service regardless of intent.
Blueprint and ecosystem model
Blueprint and ecosystem model
Blueprint and ecosystem model
We shaped a minimal set of artefacts that fit current behavior. A one page agreement starter with plain prompts for tasks, time, pay, leave, and extras. A two week check in card to make feedback routine. A dispute path that starts with local facilitation and lists neutral options next. Worker and employer booklets to seed the same language on both sides. A small awareness kit to test message pickup in buildings. Systemic recommendations are split across grassroots, community, state, and national levels to align with feasibility and ownership.
We shaped a minimal set of artefacts that fit current behavior. A one page agreement starter with plain prompts for tasks, time, pay, leave, and extras. A two week check in card to make feedback routine. A dispute path that starts with local facilitation and lists neutral options next. Worker and employer booklets to seed the same language on both sides. A small awareness kit to test message pickup in buildings. Systemic recommendations are split across grassroots, community, state, and national levels to align with feasibility and ownership.
We shaped a minimal set of artefacts that fit current behavior. A one page agreement starter with plain prompts for tasks, time, pay, leave, and extras. A two week check in card to make feedback routine. A dispute path that starts with local facilitation and lists neutral options next. Worker and employer booklets to seed the same language on both sides. A small awareness kit to test message pickup in buildings. Systemic recommendations are split across grassroots, community, state, and national levels to align with feasibility and ownership.
Interventions and implementation logic
Interventions and implementation logic
Interventions and implementation logic
Agreement starter and two week check in card ready to print and share
Dispute path starter with local first and policy facing options listed
Worker and employer information booklets in low fidelity to test clarity and tone
Awareness campaign posters* and a short video concept for distribution experiments
Service blueprint, stakeholder and ecosystem maps, and a pattern language based option set to steer pilots
Long paper accepted for ServDes 2025 at IIT Hyderabad
Agreement starter and two week check in card ready to print and share
Dispute path starter with local first and policy facing options listed
Worker and employer information booklets in low fidelity to test clarity and tone
Awareness campaign posters* and a short video concept for distribution experiments
Service blueprint, stakeholder and ecosystem maps, and a pattern language based option set to steer pilots
Long paper accepted for ServDes 2025 at IIT Hyderabad
Agreement starter and two week check in card ready to print and share
Dispute path starter with local first and policy facing options listed
Worker and employer information booklets in low fidelity to test clarity and tone
Awareness campaign posters* and a short video concept for distribution experiments
Service blueprint, stakeholder and ecosystem maps, and a pattern language based option set to steer pilots
Long paper accepted for ServDes 2025 at IIT Hyderabad
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
FUTURE STEPS
Karnataka’s 2025 draft proposes registration, written agreements, and a welfare funding mechanism. *Part 2 will translate these policy levers into concrete experiences: an Agreement Builder, Registration Assistant, Wage & Welfare Calculator, and Compliance Checklist, all scoped for a ward-level pilot with an RWA(resident welfare association) and an agency.
REFLECTION
Service design only works if the designed artifacts & interventions change day-to-day behavior gradually, but eventually. Defining metrics to measure progress is equally crucial or we'd be flying blind in the night like a pigeon in a typical bengaluru thunderstorm mid July.
FUTURE STEPS
Karnataka’s 2025 draft proposes registration, written agreements, and a welfare funding mechanism. *Part 2 will translate these policy levers into concrete experiences: an Agreement Builder, Registration Assistant, Wage & Welfare Calculator, and Compliance Checklist, all scoped for a ward-level pilot with an RWA(resident welfare association) and an agency.
REFLECTION
Service design only works if the designed artifacts & interventions change day-to-day behavior gradually, but eventually. Defining metrics to measure progress is equally crucial or we'd be flying blind in the night like a pigeon in a typical bengaluru thunderstorm mid July.
FUTURE STEPS
Karnataka’s 2025 draft proposes registration, written agreements, and a welfare funding mechanism. *Part 2 will translate these policy levers into concrete experiences: an Agreement Builder, Registration Assistant, Wage & Welfare Calculator, and Compliance Checklist, all scoped for a ward-level pilot with an RWA(resident welfare association) and an agency.
REFLECTION
Service design only works if the designed artifacts & interventions change day-to-day behavior gradually, but eventually. Defining metrics to measure progress is equally crucial or we'd be flying blind in the night like a pigeon in a typical bengaluru thunderstorm mid July.
Challenge
High reliance on informal matching and verbal agreements creates fragile working relationships. There is no shared process for review or recourse, which leads to silent churn and stress.
Solution
Give people simple starters that fit real life. Write it down together, agree on a check-in, and know where to go if talks stall.
Challenge
High reliance on informal matching and verbal agreements creates fragile working relationships. There is no shared process for review or recourse, which leads to silent churn and stress.
Solution
Give people simple starters that fit real life. Write it down together, agree on a check-in, and know where to go if talks stall.
Challenge
High reliance on informal matching and verbal agreements creates fragile working relationships. There is no shared process for review or recourse, which leads to silent churn and stress.
Solution
Give people simple starters that fit real life. Write it down together, agree on a check-in, and know where to go if talks stall.