Kago Yama Case Study

1. Overview / Snapshot
Kago Yama started as a concept farming app prototype designed to help small-scale farmers manage their plots, diagnose crop issues and connect directly with buyers. Though built in Figma across some 25 screens—from onboarding and farm setup to crop scanning and a mini marketplace—the app never went beyond prototype, until a real-life “Kago Yama” farm took root in 2025 in Limpopo.

2. Challenge
Smallholder farmers around Limpopo face:

• Unpredictable crop health: No simple way to spot pests or disease early.

• Scattered operations: Paper records for planting dates, tasks and orders.

• Limited market access: Nearest buyers often hours away, with no digital booking.

3. Approach
Rather than guess at features, we sketched a full user journey:

1. Sign-up & farm profile: Enter plot details, soil type and contact info.

2. Daily tasks & progress: A checklist that tracks planting, spraying and harvest.

3. Crop scanner: Upload a photo to flag common pests or diseases (rule-based mock demo).

4. Marketplace & orders: Browse farm supplies and list produce for local buyers.

5. Community feed: Share tips, ask questions and earn “green points” for activity.

Each flow was built in Figma, with clickable hotspots and sample data pulled from regional crop guides. We refined button labels, iconography and layouts over three internal review rounds—aiming for a farmer to move from “plot to sale” in under five taps.

4. Outcomes & Takeaway

• Though still a prototype, the exercise revealed key priorities: easy photo-based diagnostics, clear task reminders and an uncluttered produce-listing screen.

• In 2025, a real “Kago Yama” farm in Limpopo adopted our wireframes as a blueprint for their own digital record-keeping, proving that even a paper-only concept can spark on-the-ground change.

Key lesson: Early, end-to-end concept mapping—even without live users—uncovers the features that matter most to farmers, and gives communities a tangible starting point for future development.