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Designing the Bula Baby App and Book to Improve Immunisation and Maternal Support in Fiji
Client
Jhpiego
Location
Kenya
My Role
Lead Designer
my services
Research Synthesis, Heuristic Evaluation,
Desk Review,
Product Ideation,
Design Benchmarking, Design Strategy,
Information Architecture,
User Flows,
Wireframing,
Visual Design,
Prototyping,
Developer Handoff
key learnings for me
Designing for Stigma, Not Just Usability
UX had to be emotionally safe, not just frictionless. Privacy and dignity mattered as much as navigation.
Grounded Innovation
Shiny features only work if they meet people where they are. A private wishlist proved more impactful than complex tools.
the context
Jhpiego is a global non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University that focuses on innovative solutions to improve healthcare access and outcomes, particularly for women and families. MYDAWA is a leading e-pharmacy in Kenya that provides digital access to healthcare products and telemedicine services.
This project aimed to optimize MYDAWA’s digital platform to improve access to family planning (FP) products and services in Kenya. The focus was on enhancing the user experience, streamlining telehealth consultations, and increasing engagement, particularly among underserved populations in Nairobi and Mombasa. The initiative was designed to generate evidence on digital counseling (DC) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) models to inform scalability and long-term sustainability.
the challenge
Jhpiego and MYDAWA recognized the potential of digital platforms to overcome barriers to contraceptive access, such as stigma, cost, and logistical challenges. However, several issues needed to be addressed:
Mindset & Awareness Barriers: The discovery of people’s mindsets, awareness, and challenges, due to the social stigma around sexual health and wellness, and not being aware about how to use these products
User Experience Gaps: MYDAWA’s platform required optimization to enhance the FP user journey, from awareness to product selection, consultation, and purchase.
Limited Digital Engagement Models: There was a need for innovative strategies to increase user engagement and education about FP options.
Regulatory and Market Constraints: The policy and regulatory landscape for digital FP service provision required careful navigation to ensure compliance and sustainable business models.
Equity and Accessibility Concerns: Ensuring that underserved populations, including rural women and low-income users, could benefit from the platform.
the solution
ThinkPlace was chosen due to our expertise in human-centered design (HCD), digital innovation, and social behavior change (SBC) programming. Our past work with Jhpiego, including designing strategies for HIV prevention and maternal healthcare, demonstrated our ability to tackle complex health challenges through innovative, user-centered approaches.
We adopted a structured, multi-phase approach, incorporating research, design, validation, and implementation to enhance MYDAWA’s FP service offerings.
Discovery & Research
The project kicked off with an intent and discovery phase, bringing together a Core Design Team with representatives from Jhpiego, MYDAWA, and other key stakeholders. An Intent Workshop was conducted to align goals and define focus areas.
A rapid desk review was synthesized insights from market research about user behaviour, preferences and best practices, while a platform audit assessed MYDAWA’s existing user flows. These insights informed the development of strategic hypotheses for optimizing the FP method mix, user journeys, and engagement strategies.
Field research in Nairobi and Mombasa validated these hypotheses, using customized assessment tools to explore user behaviors, preferences, and challenges related to FP access.
Findings were synthesized in a co-design workshop with Jhpiego, MYDAWA, and other partners, leading to the development of user-inspired strategies and low-fidelity prototype designs.
Co-Design & Prototyping
Building on validated insights, ThinkPlace India kicked off the user experience design by preparing the information architecture of the platform, followed by key screens wireframes, optimizing user flows for FP awareness, consultation, selection, and purchase.
These designs were rigorously validated with MYDAWA and Jhpiego to ensure alignment with user needs and platform capabilities.
High-fidelity designs were created based on the approved wireframes.
Being digital innovation experts, we elevated the platform’s experience by:
Information Accessibility: Enhancements were needed to improve discovery, access to information, and user experience across both mobile and web platforms.
Integrating Interactive Tools: Designing Symptom Checkers and Fertility Window Calculators to empower users with self-service options for health insights.
AI-Driven Chatbots: Implementing intelligent chatbots to provide real-time assistance, guiding users through product selection and answering health-related queries efficiently.
Private Wishlists: Enabling users to create discreet wishlists for sensitive healthcare products, ensuring privacy while simplifying repeat purchases.
Final Handover
The approved designs were handed over to MYDAWA development team, for implementation, continued maintenance and evolution of the platform.
the impact
The optimization of MYDAWA’s platform led to the following key outcomes:
Improved accessibility and usability of FP services on MYDAWA’s digital platform.
A user-centric approach to digital healthcare innovation in Kenya.
Strengthened Family Planning awareness and uptake among the underserved populations in Nairobi and Mombasa.
The project not only improved accessibility and engagement but also established a sustainable, user-centered approach to digital healthcare innovation in Kenya. The work done sets a precedent for how digital platforms can be leveraged to improve access to essential health services, ensuring greater reproductive health equity in Kenya and beyond.
there's more to read
Let’s design for people,
planet, and better futures.
ianstonthomas@gmail.com
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