SANDY LAWRENCE
Life is great when strategy and creativity align and solve problems for the greater good
EBOLA - Hackathon research
BACKGROUND
In the height of the Ebola health scare our team was tasked with coming up with a solution as part of UX global health hackathon competition in partnership with USAID, NYU, and UN representative from New Guinea and Liberia
GOAL
Create an emergency relief product for this pandemic in affected countries that could potentially prolong life and help doctors and local village chiefs get patients help
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Time: 2 weekends
MY ROLE
Generalist and designer. Use available remote research to explore project limitations and come up with usable solution that was cost effective to produce in a short time.
CHALLENGE - For a frenzied 2 weekends we did and emergency health hack to answer the call made by USAID and OpenIDEOs with creating a solution that can not include a digital app due to limited communication. Sms was only technology option because of logistics of remote west african villages affected by illness.
THE TEAM - Nurses, social worker, ux designer, graphic designer and a developer. Having expertise from people who have traveled to remote areas was helpful for quick insights and nuances.​​
Top 5 challenges
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Trust of Doctors (family members left, but never returned)
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Remote access to medical help and food
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Limited communication methods
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Contamination and other diseases
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Infrastructure not developed
Many teams were using sms technology which had already been in motion, but in rural areas that was a challenge. Instead we chose to go back to basics and create something for the infected person and their family to use and protect themselves and others until medical help was available and make their experience more tolerable. It included: cleaning, prevention and treatment items. It also included a week worth of hydration items and make ready food and a postcard of hope.It was called Healthy Change Bucket​.
Process
Our research included data from CDC, World Health organizations, info from medics on the ground, and advice from team members items that global organizations already used. We looked at areas that were most infected. We also had first hand accounts from the Guinea representative as to what the immediate needs were.
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We did initial brainstorming and realized that people and their families need a quick solution that coud keep them alive for at least a week until they could receive adequate medical care.
We made sketches using the idea of a portable device that had essentials for 10 days and could be repurposed. Presented ideas and had a few challenges, and eventually revised to make a 3 compartment bucket. The Healthy Change bucket was a wheeled solution that could move easily across terrain of the land.
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Non Tech solution
Through field research in remote areas with limited mobile coverage, we identified a critical gap in access to timely medical intervention during a public health crisis. Community members expressed a deep fear and distrust toward medical personnel, often symbolized by "white coats," which hindered early intervention and response.
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I analyzed real-time research and contextual data provided by medics embedded in local communities to gain deeper insight into cultural behaviors, belief systems, and resource limitations. From this research, I proposed a multi-use, bucket solution that would give community members a sense of dignity. It would be a low-cost, preventative care kit that could be rapidly assembled using mostly locally available materials. Designed in collaboration with local health workers and supported by global health organizations, the bucket served as both a short-term life-saving measure and a long-term educational tool for slowing the spread of disease within families.
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This approach prioritized user autonomy, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility, offering a practical solution rooted in empathy, usability, and sustainable impact in partnership with world health chariities.
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Multi use bucket for sanitary care and transport.
It included items for cleaning, prevention and treatment, along with ready to eat food & water.
Healthy Change Bucket
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Life saving temporary emergency buckets
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Easy to transport items
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Week worth of cleaning, prevention and treatment items plus a week of food rations
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Color coded pictogram for quick recognition of ailments and instructions
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Postcard with illustrated instructions
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Quick paper prototype
The Healthy Change Bucket consisted of three color coded compartments separated by divider and topped with similar internal cover with pictograms for easy to follow instructions.
We decided what items are essential for a week of care based on research. We also had to make sure there were disposable biodegradable bags to hold infected items away from families.
More detailed prototype
The bucket would be made of industrial grade waterproof plastic and have a wheel base that can be detached from bucket as needed.
POSTCARD - We created visual symbols on a postcard because of limited education. They were to be printed locally with directives for additional help
RESULTS - Our Ebola solution Healthy Change came in 3rd place in the challenge and were granted $1000 to help produce the first set of buckets.
NEXT STEPS - Members of the team sourced pricing so the buckets with all of the items could be below $20 per bucket. The prototype was passed onto stakeholders to make samples.
CONQUERING BIAS - One of the problems in some of the villages was that people felt left out and stigmatized. Kids did not want to play with family's that were affected and others just remained isolated. ​I was asked to design a series of shirts. One that could be auctioned at the UN for aid to these countries. The other was to provide a sense of unity for the villages and be used for all.
GET THE MESSAGE OUT - T-shirt design for the United Nations auction to promote health unity in West Africa and build sense of positive moral among residents.
Choice 1
Choice 2
