A Visit To The Gynaecologist
How might we improve the health-seeking behaviour of women with a special focus on their sexual and reproductive health?
2022
all copyrights belong TinkerLabs
guidance
Vaibhavi Joshi
Devanshi
role
design research, visual communication
Key Role
This project was a part of a studio project at TinkerLabs. I carried out the design thinking x behavioural science process from start to finish. This included field research, problem redefining, prototyping and testing the innovations with
extreme users.
Overview
In a country like India where tradition dictates conservatism, women do not follow the regular practice of visiting gynaecologists for a routine health check-up. The stigma and discomfort behind visiting a gynaecologist are greater than the need for sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Goals
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Understand the current health-seeking behaviour in women
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To identify the gaps, challenges, and pain points
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Create relevant innovations that are ready to test
Through this project, I observed and immersed myself in the process of visiting a gynaecologist. I conducted in-depth design research interviews with women who have different relationships with a gynaecologist. The interviews explore and uncover the pain points of all of these women and understand their behaviours. When in-depth conversations were converted into insights it lead me to recognise invisible problems. At the end of the project, I was able to identify barriers, behaviours and areas of unease for women, this led to:
20+ Innovations out of which 4 were tested and iterated with extreme users
Empathise
Secondary Research
Conducted to set the context for the project. Netnography served as an important method to understand the free behaviour of women and their views on visiting a gynecologist in India. This helped me identify different types of women and extreme users and a common system journey.
Primary Research
Extreme Users
When it comes to designing research interviews, it is important to have conversations and observe users understand their amplified needs. Through a set of average extreme users, we uncover only average insights and need states. During this phase, I identified:
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Users that are not habituated to the process of visiting a gynecologist
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Users that have a disadvantage of some sort
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Users that do not have the resources to visit a gynecologist
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Users that have had bad experiences visiting a gynecologist
Designing Research
Before venturing into the field to conduct interviews and apply various research methods, research has to be designed and systemized. This allowed me to ensure that suitable methods were being explored to uncover insights. Using TinkerLab’s tool to design research helped me capture and formalize my next steps and visit areas of inquiry.
Define
During the define stage, I synthesized all of the research that was done so far. I was able to get a deeper understanding of the factors that led to women not visiting the gynecologist. Based on the insights gathered, I zoomed into areas of the journey of women that was a common thread all throughout the research conducted, the first step - booking an appointment. This leads me to formulate:
15+ refined micro problem statements
Here is an example a redefined problem statement
How might we enable an unmarried, anxious patient that lives with a conservative family to complete the gynecology clinic visit from the start
to end anonymously?
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There is a misconception out there that only married women visit gynecologists. Hence women would rather stick through the pain they are going through than get caught at a gynecologist making people around them think they are pregnant.
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Spotlight effect: Women tend to believe they are being noticed more than they really are, they felt when visiting the gynecologist the spotlight was on them.
Outcome
Two categories of ideation were conducted. Individual ideation and co-creation with extreme users. The process so far had been very user-heavy, so I decided to include users in this part of the process too. Co-creating with extreme users helped bring a new perspective, insights that may have been overlooked and feedback that may have come up during testing.
Sea Shell: The app that keeps your secrets
Tested and iterated, Sea shell is an app that helps women anonymously seek consultation from a gynecologist. From the process of booking an appointment to payment, or even notifications - everything is anonymous.
What's Up: A card game that enables open conversation
Through this game, users are given cards that are colour coded according to various sexual or reproductive health subjects like - PCOD, STDs, etc. Users can hand over the cards that they feel are describing their area of inquiry or problem in the best way to the gynecologist to start a conversation.
Redesign: Medical History Form
The current medical history form is daunting and makes women uncomfortable. The information on the medical history form has been redesigned to be more approachable, and more human. Click here for a blog I wrote: "Can information Design x Data Humanism change health-seeking behaviour in women?"
