HARSHAVARDHAN P
Dr. Gayatri Menon
harshavardhan_p@nid.edu
This project reimagines health accessibility in rural India through participatory design in both product and policy development. Field research in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu highlighted systemic barriers to menstrual and reproductive health diagnosis, including long distances and cultural taboos. The project developed several interventions: low-cost diagnostic tools like paper-based tests for discretion, and a WhatsApp-based chatbot translating scientific information into accessible language. Additionally, participatory workshops with frontline workers and policymakers generated new awareness strategies. A five-phase toolkit was created to help NGOs and officials translate lived realities into actionable policy strategies. Methodologically, the work combined ethnographic interviews, systemic mapping, and iterative prototyping. The design process extends beyond objects to frameworks, positioning the designer as a mediator between community experiences and abstract policy. Ultimately, the project envisions a future where rural communities are active shapers of healthcare, arguing for contextuality and ethical co-design as the foundations for equitable public health systems.