Sprint story: Human Centered Design in Sierra Leone
With only 5 days, would we manage to run our first entire Human-Centered Design (HCD) process in Sierra Leone with government partners? [Pour la version en français, cliquez ici]
Get ready for the exciting journey ahead as we not only met this challenge but discovered how you can too!
It was a rainy Thursday in mid-August. Gathered just outside Freetown, we huddled in a conference room with about twenty partners from the Ministry of Health. Participants were brimming with high expectations and excitement as we prepared to embark on the first Human Centered Design (HCD) collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
The rain tapped lightly on the windows as we prepared for a unique challenge: Generating ideas for redesigning the care experience in health centers in low-resource contexts, all in just 5 days. Armed with simple materials — flip chart paper, markers, and sticky notes — we were ready to begin “learing by doing” using Human Centered Design.
To gain a deep understanding of unmet needs, we first invited participants to engage directly with parents and healthcare workers in the field. This immediate action pushed some out of their comfort zones. One participant questioned the wisdom of this: “We only started yesterday, and you already want us to go out now?”
Field visits brought insights; emotional needs significantly impact care experiences. One health worker admitted a loss of confidence in her work, due to fear of making mistakes. Another participant mentioned insights from a health center visit where a mother said she felt disrespected and would never return. In less than a day, we realized the power of empathizing with community members and health workers in the field.
After this initial progress, we could have opted for conventional solutions like interpersonal communication training, hand sanitizers, or parent committees. Yet, if these efforts had already fallen short of people’s needs, wasn’t it time for fresh ideas?
During brainstorming on day three, we made a breakthrough by incorporating elements from unrelated experiences, such as going to a restaurant or attending a football game. This allowed us to think outside the box and generate ideas like providing health workers with an armband, designating them as the go-to person for colleagues, fostering support and value. Another concept was a loyalty card for parents, stamped after each vaccination. Upon completion, parents and children would receive a small, inexpensive gift. This card aimed to create memorable moments of appreciation and mutual respect between caregivers and health workers.
On days four and five, participants quickly sketched out ideas as storyboards, then gathered comments and suggestions from communities. After rapid refinement, we sought more feedback, making further adjustments. By the end of the five day “Sprint,” we were impressed and proud of our achievements.
One participant remarked “Wow, we went from understanding the problem to generating and prototyping new creative ideas in the field in such a short time, and it barely cost us anything!”
With a renewed sense of energy and motivation, participants planned to test their ideas in real scenarios, observing reactions to continuously improve. We are excited to see what they will share with us next.
Note: Hello reader! If you are interested in running an HCD process in 5 days, check out the materials available in English and French. Click here to share observations and suggestions. We value feedback and opportunities to learn. From: The Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) team, UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (Dakar Senegal)
For more short essays on social change: See Exchange №1, and Exchange №2
