GOAL: Utilize user experience to address reproductive health accessibility for Syrian women refugees.
BACKGROUND: This project was for an international competition for graduate students called the Geneva Challenge. I worked on this project in a group of 4. All members had experience either working with the Middle Eastern community, or knowledgeable about their health needs. I was responsible for getting the background information, developing the intervention and implementation, as well as the final design of the proposal document.
FINAL DELIVERABLE: inaaya, a health-tracking app which collects user data to provide personalized health recommendations for the user to experience.
STEPS TO COMPLETING OUR PROJECT
COLLECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON REFUGEE CRISIS AND THEIR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
CONDUCT A NEEDS-BASED ASSESSMENT OF OUR TARGET POPULATION
DEVELOP A SOLUTION: INAAYA APP
MARKET AND IMPLEMENTATION
Researching background information on the refugee crisis was the foundation we used to foster our research. We then conducted a needs-based assessment that allowed us to get certain about what the needs of the refugee community were.
From our background research, we came up with an experience that would allow users to:
- Track their health activities
- View their content (i.e. health records, notes, videos) holistically
- Be recommended new videos to watch based on previous activity
Here are some interview quotes that we used to outline the need for this app
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We decided to hone in on reproductive health because it was something that was lacking in women within that population. Talking about sex and other reproductive issues were seen as taboo, so we knew we could address this issue in a culturally competent way. Additionally, although our target audience were women, anyone that identifies as a refugee is able to access the app. We did not actually develop the app for this competition, but we have all the necessary information for implementation. We also proposed having this app be made available in Arabic in addition to English, and having other languages available in the future.
A LOOK AT INAAYA
This is an example of what a user will see once they open the app. Once a person opens it, it prompts them to their personalized account where they are able to add in whatever information about themselves and their health history. The app then generates content based on the information they provide. We also have an option for couples who are seeking the medical assistance together.
STRATEGY & TIMELINE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
I really enjoyed this project, because this was my first exposure to user experience and app development. Health tech is the future of medicine, and one of my interests as I go into the workforce. It's great because it combines the expansion of technology while also addressing user experience.
Although our group did not end up being selected to present our project at the competition, I learned about just how product development is just as important as marketability. Our group focused a lot on the background information as our foundation to the research. If I could do this project again, I would spend more time figuring out what the user needs of the app are.
MEET MY TEAM!
