Final Project: Project Development Body Storming

TASK: BODY STORMING

We were tasked to create a quick mock-up of your installation or object with cardboard, paper, any found objects, electronics, computer, laptop, speakers and etc. A quick prototype to observe our users approaching and interacting with our object to see whether they manage to get the message or issue we are trying to highlight. (User experience with our object/prototype)

CONCEPT: THE PILL BAG

For our final project, we chose to create a provocative object to address the ethical issues in contraceptive justice – issue.

The invention of the birth control pill was a significant milestone in the women’s rights movement. Women currently bear most of the financial and health-related burdens of contraception. On the whole, female methods tend to be more expensive than male methods and female methods have more severe side effects than male methods, as well, in part because various contraceptive methods for women involve hormones, while no methods for men do.

Beyond the health-related and financial considerations, there are also nontrivial inconveniences and burdens associated with contraceptive use: dedicating time and energy to contraception care, feeling stress and anxiety about the taking the pills, the possibility of unintended pregnancy, and facing the social repercussions of contraceptive decisions and the possible moral reproach for contraceptive failures.

Women bear the majority of contraception responsibility and the burdens it entails while men have limited reproductive autonomy.

INTENDED OUTCOME

We decided to design a pill bag resembling the birth control pills blister packs calls the attention to reconceptualize the responsibility for contraception as shared between men and women.

*(After body storming, we decided to change the focus to the transparency of bag on birth control (+ function of the bag of reminding the user to take the birth control pill) and one should not be awkward about this issue. Adding a second layer of interaction which requires the public to scan the barcode to lead them to a page about the information, questionnaire, and donation related to birth control. – raising awareness and ability to track down how many people have we reached out to with our object.)

THE PILL BAG: FIRST DEVELOPMENT – HOW IT WORKS?

FIRST DEVELOPMENT: HOW IT WORKS?

  • Rings at 7 am
  • The alarm (RTC module) will be activated and LED light surrounding the pill on the calender-like embellishment will light up.
  • The alarm will stop once the pill pack is removed and placed back into the compartment. (Using photocell)
  • After consuming the pill, whoever comes near the bag will trigger a beeping sound (using a photocell by controlling the threshold) to show the sensitivity of our user taking the birth control pills. (DECIDED TO OPT THIS FUNCTION OUT)

BODY STORMING PROCESS

OUR PROTOTYPE

LIST OF TASK FOR OUR PARTICIPANT:

  • Persona: Young girl/Women taking birth control pills
  • When the alarm will be activated at 7 am as a reminder to take the pills. (Sound + Light will be activated) 
  • The participant will take pills from the compartment, pretend to consume it and place it back into the compartment. (Sound alarm will be switched off)
  • The LED light on the embellishment of the bag will be switched on for the rest of the day.

VIDEO: PILL BAG – BODY STORMING PROCESS

PARTICIPANT: MEHRILEY

FEEDBACK DURING BODY STORMING PROCESS

NOTE TAKING: CHERYL

During the test:

I guess I’m supposed to act as the xiaomeimei

Looks around trying to find out, where’s the compartment?

Not sure what the tin foil thing is

Didn’t know the pills are inside

Feedback:

If didn’t read the thing, don’t know what to do or take on the persona

If were a guy, don’t really know how to approach it

Distracted by pin which is supposed to be the LED pin 

Didn’t realize it was a pouch

Maybe if upright and can see the opening

Not sure what to do with the pills

Might not take the pills, didn’t know need to take the pills

Other feedback:

Thought the pin was the pill

Don’t know what to do without the instructions

How to show to take the pill?:

Use the pill organizer box instead?

Design of bag: name or logo of The Pill Bag etc.

Conceptual: If you’re trying to tell guys that responsibility is on the female, why is it still the female who takes the pill?


REFLECTIONS

“What did you learn from this process?”

SITI: The process of body storming allows me to identify the problems of the interaction aspect of the object with our user. This experience enables me to see how people with zero knowledge about our object interacting with it and whether we are able to convey the message/issue that we wanted to highlight. I realized that our object should have obvious cues so the user will know how to approach it. During the body storming, we realized we have one layer of interaction with the user and one of the feedbacks was how do we share the responsibility with the guys or how are they involved. Hence, we decided to add another layer interaction with the public by incorporating a barcode for them to scan which leads them to an informational page about birth control which includes a questionnaire and donation for our movement.

TONGTONG: Through the process of body storming, it helps us to recognize what are the problems that we face in terms of customer experience. The participant was clueless of what to do, even with instruction. This might due to as creators, we are very familiar with the concept and how it works, but it is hard for the participant to understand how it works especially when the object is it not intuitive. The object should send strong emotions and visual cues to create an interaction between the user and the object. So it is essential that when we design the object, we need to think from the user perspective, how are they going to approach the object, and what will they feel when they interact with the object.

“What surprised you while going through the process?”

SITI: During the body storming process, we thought it was obvious to remove the pills from the compartment because a list of task was already listed. However, our participant had a hard time locating the pills to consume and it made us realized that we should make the pill compartment more obvious and incorporate LED around it to highlight the area they should look for. I felt that our prototype should indicate the features of the LED, pill embellishment and pill compartment clearly.

TONGTONG: Many things that I thought would be intuitive for the users were not. For example,  the participant was having a difficult time to find the pills?? Where is the LED light and How to off the LED light?? Everyone includes the audiences were confused!

“How can you apply what you have discovered to the designing of your installation?”

SITI: After observing during our bodystorming and our peer’s process, I realized we have to make our object more inclusive so the message of highlighting the issues of birth control will reach out to more people, educating people from all walks to lives. From the feedback of our peers, we decided to re-structure the features of the bag to make it more idiot-proof. In addition, we decided to change the responsibility of bearing the birth control to the transparency about educating people about birth control. Hence, making it functional to the user as well as sending a message to the public and making them involved to make a change. Most importantly, the form and features of our pill bag have to be aesthetically appealing to make a statement. 

TONGTONG: There are quite a number of things we have to add and change in our object, firstly, is the form of the object,  instead of a pouch we think that a handbag bag might be a better idea cause not everyone uses pouch. Secondly, we decided to add a pill bag compartment outside the bag, so it helps with the customer experiences journey to be more intuitive.