DESIGN RESEARCH

Client : TCS

Category : Design Research . PARTICIPatory design. healthcare

Year : 2017

As part of the research activities at TCS Innovation Labs, I have participated in user research and analysis, as well as identifying product and user needs for product development and experimental studies. I have particularly explored and interacted with users with lesser literacy, users with visual impairment, as well as enterprise users within the organization.

I have used elicitation techniques such as Contextual Inquiry, Shadowing and Rapid Ethnography Techniques. I have contributed to the design and development of mobile applications to study the usability of security interfaces on smart phones.

LIST OF PUBLISHED PAPERS I HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO

  1. Participatory Design of Vaccination Services with Less-Literate Users. HCI (30) 2017: 301-308

  2. A Critique on Participatory Design in Developmental Context: A Case Study. HCI (11) 2017: 647-658

  3. Coping with Accessibility Challenges for Security - A User Study with Blind Smartphone Users. INTERACT (4) 2017: 3-22

  4. Modeling Less-Literate User's Choices of Smartphone Authentication Modes. INTERACT (4)2017: 496-500

 

PROJECT 1

Study of Participatory Design of Vaccination Services with Less-literate Users

The study was part of a larger research to gain insights into vaccination experiences and challenges faced by users of vaccination service at Primary Health Centers, Vaccination Camps and Hospitals and attempt to redesign the whole experience. This particular study used participatory design in an attempt to redesign immunization service and also assessed suitability of Participatory Design approach in developmental context

 

User

Less literate, young mothers who were immigrant to the city, living in the urban slums of Mumbai

Most homes had a constraint of space and our PD sessions were held amidst blaring television noise, user preparing lunch, kids(like the one on the right), houseguests and family members interrupting us!

Process

Interviews were used for retrospective elicitation of experiences and
challenges. We co-created Customer Journey Maps and stakeholder maps with users. We purchased all the necessary artefacts from the users neighbourhood to ensure things were commonplace to the user.

Process

Sanders frameworks of Priming, Probing, Making(to record experiences), Telling and Enacting (role-play and acting) were used

 
 

KEY FINDINGS

Contribution to knowledge

  • Applicability and Adaptation/critique of PD

  • Applicability of PD techniques

  • Factors affecting PD (breakdowns)

  • Preparing users, Engaging users,

  • Breaking power distance

  • Family hierarchy power structures

  • Enabling creativity

  • Communication barriers

PD outcomes

  • Design ideas for service alternatives

  • Elicitation of issues and challenges faced, mis-information

 
 
 
 

Team members : Sylvan Lobo, Pankaj Doke, Ulemba Hirom, Sujit Devkar