In 2015, only 1 in 10 internet users in rural India was a woman. And for the past several years, Google’s Internet Saathi program has aimed to bridge this digital literacy divide by educating rural women on the internet, equipping them with data-enabled devices and—modeled after India’s traditional information/communication distribution system—sending them out to train and empower other women in their village and get them on the path to economic self sufficiency. While the word-of-mouth program has made great strides, an online destination could extend the women’s influence beyond their in-person connections. To champion the nearly 80,000+ women who have overcome barriers with help of technology and amplify their voices so that their stories may reach a broader audience, we created a tactile mobile platform featuring the compelling stories of Saathis in their own voices and languages through thoughtful audio and visual design.

The goal was to create a site that women in rural India could easily access and navigate with the tool most readily available to them—a mobile phone. The tactile audiovisual site was designed to illustrate the connectedness of the Saathis to their communities, as well as the ripple effects of their influence across the country. The homepage opens with a droplet of water creating a visual ripple that emanates throughout the site and connects Saathi women according to their physical location in India. To lean into the power of personal connection and influence, each Saathi crafted and delivered her story in her own words, her own voice, and her native language. The accompanying written story is available in both English and Hindi to ensure connection with a broad audience. As a visitor, the effect is as if you’re traveling across India speaking directly to each Saathi.

The mobile platform needed to be easy to navigate from any mobile device and visually compelling so that target audiences—whether rural women, others across India, or global supporters—would be engaged. With a nod toward rural communities, the Internet Saathi stories page replicates the information distribution system in Indian villages where information is delivered in person. Speed tests conducted on India’s mobile internet network ensured that the platform would deliver optimal results so that visitors could easily access the Saathi stories and the #WomenWill event from any mobile device. Additionally, the Saathi women stepped in to test the UX, offering insight into updates that would help Google to further the ripple effect with something usable by everyone.

We partnered with Google's Brand Studio APAC on the concept, copy, UX/UI design and development of the mobile site. The pandemic curbed travel to the remote villages where the Saathis are based, so with the very devices they had been trained to use, the Saathis captured their own audio and imagery. The mobile site launched on International Women’s Day 2021 in conjunction with a #WomenWill event for the broadest exposure and engagement. Simple visual instructions lead visitors through the site, providing rural Indian women and other global visitors easy access and seamless navigation. With the touch of a finger, visitors can scroll through the main page and tap to hear and read a woman’s story. Geolocation filters help visitors explore stories across villages and regions, while locals can search Saathis by name. Initially created to house up to 100 stories, the site is designed to accommodate many more.

The mobile website provided widespread access to the Internet Saathi stories and #WomenWill International Women’s Day event from virtually any mobile-enabled device in the world. The #WomenWill event garnered 150k+ views, surpassing previous records, and prompted 5.8k+ #WomenWill and Internet Saathi social media conversations. Over 170 influencers and media handles posted about the event including Ratan Tata—Indian businessman, philanthropist, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Trusts and long-time supporter of the Internet Saathi program—whose post received 320k likes. Tata Trusts partnered with Google to launch the Internet Saathi program in 2015.