We grow our family of HCD experts till we have representatives in every country in South Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Vision

Community problems across Africa, Latin America and South Asia are eradicated, by local problem-solvers who thrive in discovering the root cause and create solutions with others, embedded in a wider ecosystem.

Purpose

We support those, who want to solve problems in the global south, to thrive in making a positive change, using the power of design 2.0.

Our design practice is truly life centered, community led and, systemically integrated.

Proof

Proportion Global unites hyperlocal design professionals in 59 countries so far, with a rich collective track record. We elevate our learnings to a global level to improve our state-of-the-art methodologies, and circle back to whoever can benefit from it to solve that next problem ahead of us.

Our shared values as designers

Open Mindedness

We value open mindedness, which means that we are deeply listening to someone’s stories, to fully open up to understand different perspectives and ways of thinking without immediately dismissing them. This involves being receptive and curious about different views and experiences, rather than being closed or resistant to anything that differs from one's own beliefs or opinions. As open-minded designer, we don't let our own biases or preconceptions block the consideration of alternative ideas.

Authenticity

We value authenticity, which means we prioritize being true to ourselves, our values, and our beliefs. It's about being genuine and honest, not conforming to others' expectations or hiding our real thoughts and feelings. When we're authentic, we act in a way that reflects our true identity and what we stand for, rather than trying to fit a certain mold or please others.

Diversity

We value diversity, which means we appreciate and respect a wide range of differences in people, including their backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. By embracing diversity, we recognize that each individual's unique qualities and viewpoints contribute to a richer, more creative, and effective environment, whether it's in the workplace, in communities, or in society as a whole."

Humility

We value humility, which means we appreciate the importance of being modest and respectful. It's about recognizing our own limitations and being open to continuous learning from others, regardless of their status or position. Humility involves acknowledging that we don't have all the answers and that others can provide valuable insights and perspectives, fostering a collaborative and learning-focused environment."

Courage

We value courage, which means we embrace critical thinking, experimentation, and the willingness to try new approaches. We create a safe environment where it's okay to take risks and learn from failures, Courage is about standing up for what you believe in. It's not just about bold actions, but also about the inner strength to do what's right and confront obstacles with determination.

"I am extremely passionate about uniting creative talents and become the most dense global agency in the world. This positions us to tackle any challenge, anywhere."

Thomas Schuurmans

Founder and director of proportion global

How it all started - by Thomas Schuurmans (founder)

Back in 2007, I got intrigued by the R&D director of FrieslandCampina. “We like to impact undernourished children in Vietnam with our dairy products, but we can’t get it down to a level that they can afford”. It was a classical example of how corporates started to respond to the call from Muhamed Yunus, one of my biggest inspirators.

Yunus made clear that the bottom half of the world population is neglected by large corporates, while in fact the 4 billion people could be a huge business opportunity. What if you would re-think your business models, your products and services, and could target millions of potential customers and producers with meaningful products & services? It would be foolish to neglect the poor!

Most corporates started to approach this by creating cheaper spin-offs of their Western products, or by offering it in smaller packaging units. However, this results in a double penalty for the poor: they get poorer products, paying a higher price per volume. This is where the power of Human-Centered Design came into play.

We started to support corporates, NGOs and social ventures in first getting a deep understanding of low-income customers, as starting point for generating ideas for products and services following the research insights we got from the field. Human-centered design is therefore a success factor to design a good fit with what people need, aspire and can afford. It also opens up the space to design new business models that includes communities as employees, agents, processors and suppliers

We started as a small team in Amsterdam, and preferred to do all projects ourselves since it was so exciting to be in the fied (and still is!). But being a mzungu (white person), you directly influence the response of people when doing interviews or workshops in rural communities. We acknowledged that in the early days, and started to onboard more and more local HCD experts or creative talents to complement our team.

Ever since, we have been growing our international team. It is truely a feast to collaborate with HCD pracitioners from different parts of the world, with different experiences, cultures and religions . This is why we now dream of being the most decentralised HCD agency in the world, with HCD experts based in literally every single country in South Asia, Africa and Latin America!

This strategy will make us a creative power house ready to tackle any complex challenges while transfering creative problem solving capacity to communities, NGOs, corporates and social entrepreneurs across the world.

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