New framework helps designers rethink menstrual products for real-world complexity
Researchers have created a practical tool for product developers and policymakers to better understand how menstrual technologies affect—and are affected by—family, workplace, healthcare systems, and culture. The framework, tested with experts, reveals that successful menstrual products require thinking beyond the individual user to the entire ecosystem shaping their choices.
Originaltitel: Ecological Systems Theory for Studying and Designing Menstrual Technologies
Menstrual experiences are shaped by many different stakeholders, entities, and the broader socio-cultural context, or in other words, the ecological systems surrounding a menstruator. We explore what it means to take an ecological approach in studying and designing menstrual technologies. We translated and adapted Ecological Systems Theory (EST) for menstrual wellbeing and packaged the outcome in the form of a socio-ecological Canvas, accompanied by written examples and a set of prompts to facilitate engagement. We invited ten experts to engage with the Canvas in reflective workshops, which informed its further refinement. These sessions highlighted the Canvas’ generative value, fostering critical reflection on how design choices are shaped by and ripple across layers of influence. With this translational research, we invite HCI researchers and practitioners to critically reflect on the ecologies they study and design for, envisioning both aspired versions of existing realities and realities that do not exist yet.