Designing for Menstrual Pain Care
Introduction
I conducted an interview and survey study to investigate how HCI technologies can help with menstrual pain. The results illustrate the potential to support people who suffer menstrual pain, and some people who experience menstrual pain avoid medical treatments for various reasons. Accordingly, I conducted two in-person workshops with 13 women to explore what kinds of HCI menstrual pain technologies can be designed for users who avoid medical treatments and their design qualities. Based on the results, I proposed two design concepts.
Methods: Research-through-design, participatory design, workshops, interviews, surveys, thematic analysis
Tools: Physical prototyping
Design Concept 1
Menstrual cycle tracking speaker
Main functions: 1. Track users' menstrual cycle; 2. Play different sounds and display different soothing colours according to users' preference settings to notify users of different stages of their menstrual cycle. The speaker has a round shape; 3. Share the sound or music with their loved ones.
Design Concept 2
Shape-changeable and size-scalable pad
Main functions: 1. Heating, cooling, and massage; 2. Can be reshaped to be attached to any garments or furniture; 3. Automatic adjustable temperate; 4. Adjustable massage intensity; 5. Different sizes.