Mrs. Laxmi lives a simple life in Bangalore near her daughter. She spends her mornings reading, watching spiritual programs on TV in the afternoons, and news and a soap opera in the evenings. Mrs. Laxmi is reluctant to use technology but owns basic devices like a TV, mobile phone, and DVD player. She is most comfortable with TV and uses her phone primarily to talk to her daughter and grandchildren.

1. “ ”
I had a full house once and that was
>> OV LAXMI
good. But now, I am alone and that is Background
good too. One must accept one’s life Mrs. Laxmi is 69 years old. She was born
with grace. and brought up in Kolkata. She has done
her MA in English literature and was mar-
ried to a senior engineer in the Andhra
Likes & Loves
Pradesh PWD dept. They lived in Hyder-
Mrs. Laxmi likes reading and spends al-
abad and led a simple but happy life, rais-
most 4-5 hours everyday reading. Books on
ing two children - both girls. Her daughters
spirituality, classic novels and poetry are fa-
are now married and ever since her hus-
vourites. She also likes reading magazines
band died 9 years ago, she has been living
which her grandchildren often buy for her.
in Bangalore where her younger daughter
She enjoys knitting and almost always has a
also lives with her husband and children.
project on hand. She knits for her daughters
Mrs. Laxmi lives in a two bedroom apart-
and for her grandchildren - two of whom
ment, walking distance away from her
are in the US.
daughter’s residence.
She loves talking to her grandchildren and
They talk to each other on the phone
eagerly waits for their calls. Her grandchil-
almost everyday but Mrs. Laxmi has devel-
dren in Bangalore often connect her to their
oped her own routines and likes to stick to
MIDDLE CLASS | BEING BASIC
cousins and she cherishes the time they
them. So, she does not meet her daughter
spend together talking.
every day but knows that she can always
Mrs. Laxmi is also fond of gardening and
call for help when required.
looks after the plants in her balcony herself.
Mrs Laxmi has employed a maid for do-
When required, her maid helps her re-pot-
mestic help. The maid comes in the morn-
ting and re-planting.
ing and after helping around the kitchen
At one time, she was very fond of cooking
and cleaning, she leaves at around 11 after
too but now that she is alone, she prefers
which Mrs. Laxmi spends her time pretty
simple, hassle-free food. She is independ-
much by herself.
ent and enjoys her time alone.

2. >> OV LAXMI
Average Daily Calendar Tech Attitude
Mrs. Laxmi starts her day early at about Mrs. Laxmi leads a simple, uncomplicated
5.30 am. She makes herself a cup of tea and life and likes to keep it that way. She is not
then after her bath, she goes to a nearby fond of gadgets and only has the very basics
temple to pray. On her way back, she picks - a refrigerator, a mixer grinder, a washing
up some fruit and vegetables for the day and machine, a two in one for music, a mobile
is normally back home by 7 am. The news- phone and a TV.
paper is delivered by then and she reads it She has learnt how to use the washing
for an hour after which, her domestic help machine and uses it once in three days. Her
comes in to help with breakfast and lunch. daughter has also taught her how to use the
While working in the kitchen or her gar- two-in-one and she listens to her CDs on it.
den, she also talks to her daughter on the Her granddaughter bought her a mobile
phone. Her daughter invariably calls her phone which she uses but only just - she
after her husband and children have left for still maintains an old fashioned telephone
the day. diary which she slips into her mobile phone
Mrs. Laxmi then reads for a while before case because she does not know how to use
having lunch. After lunch, she reads again the phone book on her mobile. But, she can
or knits and watches TV. Sometimes, she make calls and receive them too.
MIDDLE CLASS | BEING BASIC
listens to some music instead. At around She does not own a computer but is
4 in the afternoon, she again has a cup of aware of its uses since her granddaughters
tea. Often, a neighbour or her daughter or often read out the emails they’ve received
grandchildren drop by in the evening with a and sent to their cousins and aunt in the US.
library book or a magazine. They even often make her speak to them on
In the evening, she has an early dinner Skype and she enjoys that.
and watches TV for a while. If she doesn’t She owns a simple TV set and has a cable
find anything interesting, she reads again connection which she is satisfied with as it
and goes to sleep by about 10.30 at night. gives her the channels she wants.

3. >> OV LAXMI
AVERAGE DAILY CALENDER
Average Daily Calender Chart
This chart documents Mrs. Laxmi’s average
day. It aims to focus on her key moments
ACTIVITY when she interacts with technology. These
Sleeping key moments of interaction between TV, PC
Knitting
and mobile have been analyzed and detailed
Gardening
Cooking further down.
Self Care
Eating Media Affinity Chart
Reading This chart documents Mrs. Laxmi’s affinity
to technology. It aims to show how much of
SPACE each medium she accesses in a day.
Park
Home Mobile
Temple
PC
TV
PEOPLE
Daughters
Maid
Alone
Grand Daughter
TECHNOLOGY
Mobile
TV
Music CD/ Radio
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
00:00
01:00
02:00
03:00

4. >> OV LAXMI
TELEVISION AFFINITY
TV System Programme Guide
• Has a cable connection and feels “that is enough” • Does not refer to any programme guide.
• Her TV set is a 5 year old Philips TV and Philips
Reminders
DVD Player which she bought with an offer.
• Has options for reminder setting but does not
Favourite Programs use them because she says that even if she misses
• News something, it does not matter. “The stories are so
• Telugu serials simple that you can make out what has happened.”
• Spiritual programs and discourses
TV Attitude
Typical Schedule • Watches TV only at predetermined times in the
• Watches TV for a couple of hours every afternoon evenings. At other times, even if her grandchildren
and every evening. are watching TV, she prefers to ignore it and con-
• Watches spiritual programmes/discourses in the tinue with her routine.
afternoon and the news on NDTV or CNN IBN every • Watches TV alone and does not like being disturbed
evening. while doing so.
• Also watches a Telugu soap every evening
Peeves
Influences • Programmes are not of a good quality
MIDDLE CLASS | BEING BASIC
• Learns of new shows from her grandchildren or • Too much advertising
the newspaper. Is quite sure of what she likes and • Too much sensationalism.
doesn’t like and doesn’t get swayed by any one
Satisfaction Quotient
else’s opinion.
• Is quite satisfied but wishes TV programming
Favorites were better in content.
• Remote supports favourites. Her grand daughters • Is happy with the quality.
have set her favourite channels and she uses the • Would not pay more for more features.
FAV button to access them. However, she herself • Cannot imagine TV doing more than just showing
cannot set them. programs

5. >> OV LAXMI
TELEVISION AFFINITY
TV TV
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
0:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
4:00
5:00
6:00
7:00
AFTERNOON - Key Moment 1 EVENING - Key Moment 2
• 1:00 PM t0 3:00 PM, • 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
• Solitary activitity • Solitary activity
Hardware interaction Hardware interaction
• Uses a simple 5 year old TV with remote. • Uses a simple 5 year old TV with remote.
• Uses the FAV button on the remote to access the spiritual channel she watches. • Uses the FAV button on the remote to access the news channels and entertainment
• Sometimes uses the remote to surf channels. channels she watches.
• Sometimes uses the remote to surf channels.
Content Access
Content Access
Information
Information
• Watches spiritual discourses on channels like Aastha . If a certain discourse is be-
• News watched religiously every evening
ing repeated, she channels surfs to catch the news.
Entertainment
• Entertainment
• Catches one Telugu soap every evening.
• Somtimes comes across an interesting Telugu soap or movie and watches it.
• Sometimes watches a movie or reality show

6. >> OV LAXMI
MOBILE AFFINITY
Hardware Mobile Attitude
• Mrs Laxmi owns a simple, Motorola phone. It was • Mrs Laxmi is a reluctant mobile phone user. She
chosen for her by her daughter because it had uses it because her daughter insists she carry it
large type which she could read with ease. with her at all times, specially when she is out on
her morning walks or at a temple. She realise
Applications Used
they want her to keep one for the security it pro-
• Postpaid Connection paid for by her daughter
vides. She appreciates the instrument’s utility but
• Phone has a phonebook which she doesn’t use.
says she could always manage without one.
• Phone also allows messaging but she doesn’t use
the feature. Peeves
• Too complicated to use
Typical Schedule
• Very small lettering on most screens.
• Takes her mobile with her when she goes out.
• Most people - specially the plumbers, carpenters
• At home, it is always put in one spot by the TV and
etc. who she sometimes calls, have very irritating
works very much like a fixed line phone.
ringtones.
Influences
Satisfaction Quotient
• Daughter
• Mobile devices and technology don’t impress Mrs.
• Grandchildren.
MIDDLE CLASS | BEING BASIC
Laxmi very much.
Favorites • She is quite happy with her mobile and treats it
• Mrs. Laxmi uses her phone to make and recieve merely as an object of utility .
calls but does not use any other feature. She does
not even use the mobile phone book because she
doesn’t know how to. She is more comfortable with
a small, traditional indexed phone book which she
slips into her mobile phone case for use.
• She recieves calls - mainly from her daughter and
grandchildren - but seldom makes them herself.

7. >> OV LAXMI
MOBILE AFFINITY
MOBILE MOBILE
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
0:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
4:00
5:00
6:00
7:00
TALKING TO HER DAUGHTER - Key Moment 1 TALKING TO FAMILY/ FRIENDS - Key Moment 2
• 8:00AM - 9:30 AM • 9:00PM - 10:30 PM
• Uses it only as a means of communicating with her daughter. • Uses it to talk to her daughter who lives abroad and other family members who call.
Hardware Interaction Hardware Interaction
• Knows her daughters number and types out the number each time she wants to • Recieves more calls than she makes.
make a call. • When required, she gets numbers from her handwritten phone book and types
them on the screen to make a call.
Content Access
Information
Content Access
• The mobile is not used for information at all.
Information
Communication
• The mobile is not used for information at all.
• The mobile is a way of communicating “all okay” to her daughter. They exchange
Communication
calls every day talking about routine stuff like what‘s cooking etc. She also enquires
• The mobile is a way of keeping in touch with her extended family and finding out
after her grandchildren.
who is doing what, who’s getting married etc. Sometimes her grandchildren call
Entertainment
their cousins on her phone and she talks.
• The mobile is not used for information at all.
Entertainment
• The mobile is not used for information at all.