Reflections- Probing into Service, System and Infrastructure Design (Impact of Rating and Recommendation systems on Domestic Helpers)
TEAM NIGHT FURY-
SAI SINDHU NETI, SAROJ TAILOR, VIPUL NEGI
The studio started with reading an article about Maid Rating Apps of Gated communities in India- specially Bangalore. We understood about the gated community apps like MyGate and Apna Complex helping us to further understand how they work in a gated society. We were divided into groups of 3–4 and then had to choose a topic which was most suitable for us. We started researching about MyGate and Apna Complex Apps and looked at different sets of topics like Role of Power and Hierarchy Systems in these platforms, how these affect the employment opportunities of workers, power relation between the stakeholders etc.
We started mapping those out to find out various aspects in which we could probe or intervene. After looking at these aspects and a series of discussions, we narrowed it down to role of power and hierarchy and focused on looking at the power relation between the stakeholders , i.e. the admin, the residents and the domestic helpers.
MASTERCLASS BY MENTORS
Introduction to Research through Design, Design for Research, Introduction to System Design by Naveen Bhagalkot and Introduction to R Studio by Venkat Chilukuri gave us even better understanding at what we were looking at and what we wanted to probe into. The language was a bit difficult to understand in the beginning but when we did the ball rolling experiment, we could figure out how things work in R Studio and how it relates to data collection and visualization. After doing the experiment, I understood how important it is to gather and visualize data to get accurate results.
LIMITATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS
During the course of the field work, we actually faced many challenges in our way. We had planned a series of interviews with the domestic helpers and the residents but unfortunately, we could only get interviews and insights of just two maids.
Even when we had gone to the residents for asking about their perceptions, some of them didn’t allow us to talk to the maids as they were hesitant and didn’t bother to respond to our questions or statements.
So we thought of changing the way we approach them the next time as it was very difficult for us to catch hold of the maids and the residents at the same time. During the course of the interviews, we found out that rating systems don’t affect much on the livelihoods of these workers. So, we tried to probe into hiring based on recommendations.
We tried to look at the different types of recommendation systems and how these are implemented in a system.
But then we figured that more than recommendations, the system is based on negotiations and the challenges faced by the maids while negotiating. So, our focus then shifted to different types of negotiations done by the maid and how it works inside a system.
Basic Idea- How do domestic helpers negotiate with families to get better recommendation?
We tried to create a system in which there is an equal opportunity for the residents and the domestic helpers to rate each other and ultimately the maid gets hired on this platform.
JOURNEY AND EMPATHY MAPPING-
We created journey maps for the maids as they were our main target audience in this system. We then tried to figure out the basic journey and how they empathize with this system.
OUTCOMES AND LEARNINGS
This 5 week module helped us to get to know a system and how it works and what are the implications of that system on the stakeholders as such. From this studio, I learnt a lot many things which I wasn’t aware of and which helped me evolve as a designer. It also helped me to gain insights in a much more deeper sense and as to how we can apply the principles of system design into everyday use.
I would like to thank our facilitators Naveen Bagalkot and Venkat Chilukuri for their constant support and feedback throughout the course which led us to delve deeper and think broader.
