I’m reflecting on the intersection of human-centered design and digital health implementation, particularly when creating tools for Community Health Workers (CHWs) in low-resource settings. One question that continues to surface for me is:
How can we ensure the design of our digital tools preserves the dignity of CHWs while also supporting usability and performance?
We often talk about usability testing and iterating based on feedback — which is essential — but I’d love to hear your experiences on:
- How you integrate local values, norms, and daily realities into your design decisions
- Strategies you’ve used to co-create or validate user interface components with CHWs
- Challenges you’ve faced balancing programmatic goals with user empathy
- Any methods or tools you’ve used to center dignity, trust, and respect in the design process
In my own work, I’ve found that even small design decisions — like the language used in error messages or the placement of checkboxes — can significantly impact how a CHW feels about their work and their digital companion.