Women’s healthcare is gaining attention globally and for good reason. It has long been a marginalized part of healthcare, especially when it comes to research and solution design. At DODO, participatory design is our chosen approach to ensure women shape the solutions that affect their health.

Because of this gap, women of reproductive age (WRA), particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), face unique health challenges that often go unnoticed. This neglect has left a huge gap in women’s healthcare at both global and national levels.
In Nigeria for instance, the intersection of varied cultures, beliefs, and behavioral patterns further influences the challenges that women face. This often shows up in women’s needs, preferences, experiences and how they navigate their choices in their reproductive health and well-being journey. In working with our global partners, one of the goals was to build effective solutions to meet these needs. 

How We Applied Participatory Design in Practice

To achieve this, we turned to participatory design, to include the women we intended to study in the design process. Participatory design was great at achieving this, as it centers the target audience as ‘co-designers’ of the end solutions. Working alongside these women ensures their voices are included in the creation process. It also ensures the solutions reflect their desires and lived experiences and meet their needs. To drive results as we work within Nigeria’s incredibly diverse cultural landscape, we have leaned in deeply to participatory design and co-creation methods. This ensures that the solutions or strategies generated are not only for the people we work with but are designed alongside them reflecting their unique perspectives and heightening their engagement.

Our team conducted research in two geographically distinct regions of Nigeria (Southern and Northern). The goal was to bring the voices of these women and their communities into the heart of the design process. Through close collaboration, we tested assumptions about key reproductive health challenges. This process helped us uncover insights that can drive lasting change and inform sustainable solutions.

Team in a research planning work session

Getting Started with Participatory Design

Every successful project begins with a clear understanding of who holds a stake in its success. For this project, we identified three key groups: The women and communities we were designing for, our research and strategy partners, the funders supporting the initiative.

Keeping these key players in mind informed our process, even as we underwent research. Our approach was deeply qualitative as well as engaging, designing research activities that encouraged active participation and effective collaboration. The immersive research process involved physical interactions as we did contextual research with participants, virtual engagements through WhatsApp channels, phone calls, and text messages, as well as iterative follow-ups that kept them actively engaged. From icebreaker games that set a relaxed tone to co-design activities that prioritized their voices, we created an environment where every participant felt valued and heard, even in parts of the localities where women were at times shy to open up.

Key principles of participatory design in practice

There’s no doubt that something empowering about the process of participatory research. Transparency, inclusion, and active collaboration were some of the principles that our team prioritized in designing research activities for this project. 

By fostering transparency, we built trust and empowered the women to shape outcomes. We had open discussions at the beginning of the engagement with the women, clearly communicating the terms of engagement, highlighting the value of their contributions, and showcasing the potential benefits of their participation to their reproductive health outcomes in the near future.  

Through inclusive methods tailored to their diverse backgrounds and needs, we ensured every voice was heard. Participants didn’t just share insights; they co-designed potential solutions for addressing their reproductive health issues. This approach unlocked cultural nuances and revealed decision-making patterns that shaped more practical, resonant outcomes.

Want to see how our research-led approach drives impact across other sectors? Explore more stories on our Chronicles page