Design for Domestic Helpers
Process
The design process followed during this project was adapted from the curriculum structure that focuses on balancing the traditional lecture-style knowledge with creative learning-by-doing on various humanitarian issues.- “Wicked Problems” structured by Jon Kolko to design for Social Issues
Motivation
With a wicked problem- like issues faced by domestic workers in India (where the scope and scale of the problem can not be completely realised or determined completely) it becomes impossible to create a solution which “solves” the problem in the truest sense. As designers, where we can contribute is using our multidisciplinary, iterative, creative thinking process and persistently try to move towards a possible direction of solution. Designers also inevitably shape and modify the culture and user behaviours in any society. Hence, it became a need to look at this problem from a “designer’s” perspective to reach towards the solution.
The motivation for taking up this project had been to gain knowledge and work towards the below mentioned four domains that I found fascinating during my time here, at IDC:
1. Personal Interest in social problems
2. Context-aware design for Indian users
3. Academically
4. Enhance Skills
Context
House help or domestic workers are an integral part of modern Indian households, providing part-time or full-time services to various homes as independent service providers doing chores such as cleaning, washing utensils, cooking, etc. Due to the informal nature of the work, their work is undervalued, underpaid, and poorly regulated. These are traditionally women, usually from vulnerable communities or backward areas and are conventionally “unskilled”, illiterate and impoverished.
Scope
To scope the project, exploratory interviews were done with domestic workers to build a preliminary understanding of the different themes of pain points that the DWs have to deal with. Major identified themes were:
1. Occupational issues- finding a new job, sustaining the jobs, settling in a new household, finding a substitute, asking for a raise, etc.
2. Familial issues- Education and health of the family, cultural requirements, financial management, extended family visits, traditions, roles in the family, etc.
3. Infrastructural matters- Lack of sanitation and awareness, lack of space, etc.
4. Personal issues- Financial management, work-life balance, lack of time and resources for upskilling and hobbies, spouse’s drinking problems, etc.
5. Government-related issues- intimidated asking for help, lack of awareness of schemes, digital literacy, etc.
The larger motivation for this project was to work on the wellness of domestic workers in Delhi. I chose to focus on occupational issues since those were the most commonly found problem that was uniform amongst all the exploratory interviews taken. This also helped me scope and focus on the problem area better.
To scope this project, I began with defining the following aspects according to the exploratory research, availability, access and motivation:
Theme: Occupational needs
User Group: Part-Time Domestic Helpers
Gender: Women (due to the popularity of domestic feminization of labour and according to common practices in geography)
Geography: Delhi (Locality chosen as per convenience and availability)
Objective
The objective was then defined around the scope for this project:
Research
Secondary Research
Current agencies/methods are exploitative to DW and biased heavily towards the client’s (household’s) side.
Research Methods used
1. Semi-structured interviews with 15 domestic helpers
2. Observational notes with 10 domestic workers
3. Semi-structured interviews with 5 clients/residents
Time horizon: Cross-sectional since the data was collected together at one point
Data: Qualitative Data was used to collect information for this research
Thematic Analysis and Ecosystem
Current Practices
Ideation
Service Design Solutions & Attributes
Since it is a societal-level problem, it is almost impossible to just have one design solution do justice to the problem. I decided to design a service for the problem which included multiple touchpoints and let me understand the stakeholders more. A customer Journey Map and Blueprint was created for the Service.
Worker's Welfare Association (WWA)
WWA a RWA (Resident’s Welfare Association) equivalent service for slums, dedicated to helping households (potential clients) and domestic workers connect, aiming to make it easier for you and your helpers to find each other, make onboarding easier, conduct upskilling training programmes, and build a respectful relationship.
For domestic workers to make their unstructured nature of work more structured
WWA acts as a middlemen in this procedure which ensures job security and “just” treatment for such an unstructured segment of society and to make it hassle-free.
The design solution, WWA, is commmunity lead service where interested individuals from the slums are trained to become volunteers who can facilitate this service further and hence creating more reliable job oppurtunities- for both- volunteers and domestic workers.
It was found that the workers have informal set of rules in the community but they are not regulised. Also, any service solution needs the workers’ and the clients’ trust. Hence, it was decided that it would be run by the people from the slum community, who understand, know, and can regulize the worker’s needs.
The WWA was designed to be- hyper-local, scalable, hybrid (with physical and digital design interventions), and leveraging networks and connections
Job-hunting and Joining Process as a DW
The workers can create their profile by contacting the service. This would help them create their profile (with their specialisations, requirements, etc.) using various digital or human touchpoints. The workers can browse and apply for the house. She can browse through client applications if there are any, Select the client and Book a meeting with them. The clients respond to the application contact the workers to meet further using the digital/physical touchpoints
DW Finding and Joining Process as a Client
This also works the other way around, the clients can apply and browse through the database of the workers provided, contact them and the worker can confirm the meet
Touchpoints Conceptualisation
Customer Journey Map and Blueprint
The customer journey map for Savitri was created. Since out of the three personas, she had the most interaction with the service, her journey was detailed here.
The blueprint for domestic workers was created describing how the domestic workers will access and avail the service designed. This blueprint encompasses all the steps the service is designed for the users to interact. This also works on anticipating different failures and designing for them in order to keep the service running smoothly. The detailed blueprint can be found here.
Touchpoints Design
What is it? WWA website aims to inform about the association and facilitate some parts of the service and serve as a database for the DW’s and clients of Delhi.
Who is this for? The volunteers, the clients, and the NGOs interested in affiliating/collaborating.
How? The website can be used by the clients themselves, or volunteers. The domestic worker profiles can be created (mediated or facilitated by the volunteers, clients, or anyone comfortable with using the website)
Why? This project uses the website (which is merely one of the ways to access the service) to present the concept and realistically design for further evaluation of the project
For what? To act as a touchpoint and facilitate solutions for DW’s dissatisfaction with the current position and lack of awareness, Finding Helpers/work, Rules and Decent Work Environment
WWA client applications for DW:
When The clients apply to find DW for their household, their needs, requirements, expectations and incentives are recorded in the WWA website. This application is printed and kept at the WWA office for the DW’s to see and interact with the clients, book a meeting and potentially work there.
To make the application, practically understood and used by the general demography of DW‘s, I used the the research paper - “Text-Free User Interfaces for Illiterate and Semiliterate Users” which focused on creating UI for novice users that can be understood by the users without any intervention. The idea was to have them make decisions for themselves. WWA works on disintermediating the process of finding work (from the DW’s side) and making them freelance-like workers while providing protection to both, client, and the DW. Hence, the decision should be made independently after understanding the offers.
Other Touchpoints
Evaluation
The project could be evaluated with four DW in Delhi, in-person (post upsurge of second-wave, with all precautions). The protocols were followed and the interview ranged from 30minutes-1:15 hours. The DW were all female and reside in the same colony, Their ages varied from 29-50 years old. All of the DW came from a different background, had different skills and worked at different numbers of houses. The key findings of the interview were:
The problems identified during this design process were very grounded and identified correctly, from a DW’s occupational needs perspective
The characters and scenarios seemed realised, as a side note, 2 of them recollected some incidents that matched with the persona in those three scenarios shown.
The characters were realistic, one of them noted “meri dost bhi tailor ka kaam jaanti hai magar karr nahi paati, usko bahot pasand aayega” (even my friend knows how to tailor, she will find this section very helpful)
All of them felt that the service would solve their problems. “Agar isme se ek-do cheez bhi ho jayega toh kaam ban jayega (even if a couple of elements from the service is implemented, it’d be great
Three of them agreed that the rules and regulations, finding work, and upskilling opportunities part was the most important part of the service
The users found the service effective and efficient (at least at the idea point)
It might require some time for helpers to trust this service but since the volunteers are from the same jhuggi, it is going to be much better than the other solutions available already.
Some improvements they suggested, paraphrased:
This service could be extended to other unorganised sectors as well, making it a one-stop-shop for your needs, localised and easy
Account for the work experience and the skills of the DW, acknowledge and develop a scale maybe that shows the variability
Two of them noted that the clients tend to be a lot meaner than shown in the scenarios, sometimes they don’t give money until you work more for them, they harass, they shout. There could be a common harassment policy outside feedback as well.
There could be a uniform with the ID card to give more legitimacy to this occupation
Maybe in the beginning, there should be 4-5 workers associated with WWA who can then spread the word. This might make installation faster.
WWA should also work on getting other part-time odd job opportunities- like janitors in school, watchperson, etc to increase the job opportunities and availability.
Feedback on client applications:
The concept was liked and preferred to what they do now, by all four DWs
The DW seemed to make the decision based on the time and wage offered, they were also very clear on their decision.
“Dheerey dheerey use karenge toh aa jaayega” (We’ll learn how to read this with time)
The wage expected should be enlarged
The map was a little too abstract for the users to make sense of it
The tick and the ‘cross’ were not understandable, maybe only show only the tasks the clients are looking for
Additionally, the number of rooms and type of apartment should also be mentioned to give a clearer picture of the work expected.
In general, the response from the DW side was quite positive. The users seemed very thrilled to know and learn more about the service. It also gained popularity and started to get DW to talk about this.
Requirement 5/5
Effectiveness and Impact 4/5
Efficiency 4/5
Usability 4/5
Viability 4/5
Interest 5/5
Detailed 5/5
Read about the comprehensive evaluations done for this project in detail here
Discussions & Reflection
It was quite evident by the evaluations that even if parts of the solutions really worked for the DW, the idea had to be “sold” to the client. One of the experts noted “...the clients have the upper-hand and are used to having a power dynamic where they can use this hierarchy and the bargaining power, it WILL be difficult for them to accept a solution which defies just that...” This was something I learnt while evaluating the project as well- even though some were passionate about giving back to the society and genuinely wanted to help or volunteer, the majority thought it was “...too much work for the sector which is already so well-established”
Moreover, the occupation is also intertwined with (and this needs to be acknowledged) the caste problem in India. The caste has been closely related to the person’s occupation, leading to systemic-level oppression that has been ingrained in the society for generations now. These social problems, unfortunately, can only be acknowledged at this stage of academic work.
