Sticker Intervention for Health Savings
Project Brief.
The Center of Advanced Hindsight sponsored an ID studio where they wanted to wanted to find low cost interventions for low income Kenyans to save for their healthcare. We had to work on the given research they had conducted in the past. We would also have to combine the intervention with the M-TIBA program that was already established. The intervention budget was 0.25 -0.60$ per item.
Problem Space.
Kenyans need a home or personal artifact that addresses behavioral barriers to saving, and helps them develop and maintain a regular savings habit for health expenses.
Development
Phase 1
The project brief was interesting as well as challenging. I was given a very restricted space to work with. The prototype had to be physical and cost less than a dollar. I studied some of the principles of behavioral economics and try to brainstorm keeping them in mind. I drew inspiration from around me, behaviors I wanted to mimic, and simplified interactions.
My idea was to visualize the growth and have an end product which they could use as a decoration and reminder of their achievement. For instance, every time the family saved money for healthcare, they would add a petal to the stem and they’ll soon form a blooming flower. Over a year they would have a pot of 12 blooming flowers to a sign of victory. I also tried to adopt this concept in other prototypes.
A lion holds a lot of cultural significance with the people, it represents strength and is familiar to them. Every time the family saved, they would add to the lion’s mane. While the lion as imagery received a strong positive response, initially the lion is more of a lioness. Having a female would discourage men from participating.
Phase 2
For the next round of iterations, I considered a slightly more abstract route. The poster would be black and white on a sticker sheet and every time they save they would peel away one part to reveal the color beneath. The sticker idea seemed functional but the color wasn’t really revealing anything new. The excitement or the reward factor wasn’t strong enough.
Phase 3
I reworked the sticker idea, where the user would be peeling the stickers which reveal the scene of a lion underneath. The leaves somewhat didn’t feel organic or execute the idea as well as I expected.
Phase 4
I even tried a version where I blurred the image and the person would be revealing a clear picture as they kept saving. The execution didn’t seem to have the simplicity it needed. I needed to take on a simplified visual which the users could readily relate to.
Deliverable
For every 5 Ksh the individual saves they get to remove a sticker grass blade. As they come closer to their goal they’ll be able to view the scene undisrupted. The users can see a glimpse of their goal which serves as a reminder to save. With each blade of grass, they’ll be able to visualize how close they are to achieving that goal.
