My Hormones Make Me Feel…
Research - UX - Installation
“My hormones make me feel...” is a fun and interactive installation designed to help people who menstruate become more aware of how hormones affect them, while also inviting them to share their experiences and opening up the conversation around menstrual health in New Zealand.
Research
Throughout a person’s menstrual cycle, they will experience what could best be described as a rollercoaster of emotional and physical ups and downs all driven by the hormonal activity happening inside their bodies, and these experiences can be different for everyone.
However, awareness and education around the role these hormones play in how we feel day to day are largely non-existent outside of the internet in New Zealand, often only being discovered later in life through personal experience or conversations with friends and family.
User Insights
In order to help ensure the success of engaging and educating individuals who menstruate, interviews were conducted to better understand their optimal learning environments.
Through these interviews, it was discovered that an interactive, multi-sensory experience with opportunities for peer discussion was the most preferred learning style, as well as the need to put information into context to understand and remember it long-term.
Case Study
Giorgia Lupi, an information designer, creates artwork and exhibitions that transform large collections of human data into visually engaging as well as interactive experiences.
Her designs demonstrate how complex information can be broken down and presented in a way that an everyday person can easily contextualise at a glance. Lupi’s creative approach to her designs inspired this exhibit to be not only informative but, once complete, a piece of art.
Concept Testing
An initial concept prototype was tested with a group of six individuals who menstruate to refine the overall user experience of the installation.
Insights:
What the participants enjoyed most about the concept was the ability to write down their experiences and discuss their thoughts with other participants. A pain point identified was the need for prompts to assist those who were unsure about their menstrual health, requiring insights from others to help them engage effectively.
This session highlighted the installation’s overall appeal as an experience, as well as showcased how users approached and interacted with the prototype, providing insights into improvements to better support their learning needs.
Building the Installation
Careful consideration was given to the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of each material used in the exhibit.
Experiments were conducted to ensure materials could be responsibly recycled wherever possible and easily removed from the location without causing damage.
Final User Testing
A final user test was conducted after completing the installation setup ahead of an end-of-year exhibition, where the installation would be showcased to the public.
Results showed that the user was drawn in due to the use of colour and textured materials, as well as the clear indication of interactivity through the visible pens and they were successfully able to navigate their way through the experience without any assistance needed.
The one refinement to make was to the text that indicated the start of the menstrual cycle. It was not initially seen by the user and played an important part in where they would place their squares.
