Innovations for Diamond Authentication
Design-led innovation
Research & Insights
Project leadership
Team & Client management
Strategic foresight
Concept development
Client: Confidential
Designed for: Huemen - Harman International
Uncover opportunities and propose Innovations that can help users across the diamond ecosystem to identify and eliminate counterfeits, thus reinstating brand trust in client's grading services.
Objective
World’s leading diamond grading firm was facing critical business challenge of increasing instances of diamond counterfeits that was damaging customer trust on their brand. Naturally grown diamonds graded by the client were being counterfeited by replicating the Unique diamond ID on Lab-Grown or inferior quality diamonds and sold across the supply chain.
Their ask from Harman was to help them with innovations that would prevent their diamonds getting counterfeited and enable their customers across the supply chain identify the ones in circulation and eliminate them.
Approach
We undertook a 3-phased approach with sprints running parallel between multidisciplinary teams (research, design and technology) of Harman throughout the project. Weekly touchpoints with key client stakeholders and sharing session with larger client stakeholder group from each department helped us get timely feedback, varied perspectives and buy-in for next stage of the project.
Phase 1 focused on gathering understanding of the problem statement from various stakeholders of clients including CXOs, department heads, sales heads of key markets and R&D leaders. The objective was to understand business impact desired from the innovation, learnings from previously attempts at solving the problem, beliefs on target users and industry needs, competitors and internal process for arriving at an innovation. Several in-depth sessions were also conducted with scientists, gemologists, and metrologist to understand the physical properties of diamond and its unique characteristics impacting its identification.
12
Client stakeholder interviews
25+ million products sold per year
15
User interviews retailers, wholesalers & manufacturers
5
countries for primary research
3
Locations for Ethnographic research
20+
Key Insights
Ethnographic Research
In Phase 2, we undertook ethnographic research in India, HongKong and remote user research in USA with 14 companies in diamond industry representing key target user groups and markets of the intended solution - 1. Retailers 2. Manufacturers 3. Wholesalers.
The objective was to understand perspective of each segment in the ecosystem on diamond counterfeits, their current authentication process, beliefs, challenges and needs. We also made observations on their current practices and devices, user environments and interactions with their clients, and impact of evolving business landscape on the desirability and viability of a solution.
User Research findings were mapped on an ecosystem map illustrating every stage of the diamond journey before exchanging hands to the next player in the supply chain including the authentication activities carried out, devices and processes used and risks of counterfeit existing. This helped us to identify all the parameters in the interconnected system the desired solution needs to consider while designing for a specific user group and use case.
Key Insights
(Sample insights - 3 of 21 in total)
01
Most users believed that there is a critical and increasing issue of counterfeits in industry but almost none admitted to having the problem in their own establishment. Without a direct solution that helps them detect counterfeits, admitting to having counterfeiting problems in their establishment is detrimental to their business.
Hence, users emphasised the importance of ‘trust’ – ‘building brand trust’, ‘working with trusted partners’, and ‘industry works on trust’.
Lack of solution = High dependency on human trust in the industry
02
Counterfeiting problem is more prevalent with smaller players who lack awareness, capital to invest in technology and access to lab services.
Larger players are more secure due to 1. Access to tech solutions in the form of devices 2. Market dominance and hence the fear of losing trade if caught 3. Skilled and knowledgeable employees
03
Although users across geographies do not trust inscription on diamond as proof of authenticity, yet ones without gemology knowledge rely only on reading inscription through loop for proof of authenticity due to the lack of a solution.
At retail stores, end-customers are only shown inscription to prove the authenticity of the diamond as they are not aware that inscriptions can be copied. Retailers too are not keen in educating them because if customers are aware, they would want retailers to prove it - and retailers today lack solution to prove authenticity of a diamond with confidence.
Client speak:
" Dear Shrestha, It has been a pleasure working with you and your team on the Counterfeit project. Your dedication and hard work have been instrumental in our shared success, and I am grateful for the positive impact you have had on GIA's vision."
- Ali Farhoumand
Principal Engineering Manager, Gemological Institute of America
Outcome
Based on the research insights ad recommended innovation directions, ideas were presented that ranged from digital platform for users across the ecosystem using blockchain, hardware devices that leverages AI models and computer vision to identify counterfeits, Plugins to flag potential counterfeits on online marketplaces, ARVR devices to authenticate diamond virtually and remotely without a QC expert and exploration of new anti-counterfeit technology for diamond which is more secure than inscription. Concepts aimed to reduce human skill and knowledge required for authentication, increase ease of use by target users, authenticate diamonds at any stage in ecosystem and modes of transaction- physical and virtual, and making it more secure by introducing multiple layers of protection that is difficult to breach by counterfeiters.
Ideas were shortlisted based on client's business priority, feasibility and impact and served at starting points for engineering and design teams to explore potential technologies and design solutions. Proposal was provided for design and development of the selected concept.
The Team:
Shrestha Kedia: Project Lead, Associate Director of Strategy
Ajay Suresh, Priyanka P, DevChandan Mallick: Lead Researchers
Nithin Nagaraj: Industrial designer
Nachiket Shirwalkar: Engineering lead