User-Centered Design in Developing Countries: A Case Study of a Sustainable Intercultural Healthcare Platform in Ethiopia

Abstract

User-centered design (UCD) is a well-established development methodology that focuses during the whole design process on users' goals and context. This is especially important in soft-ware development projects in developing countries, where the development and use situations typically greatly diverge. We are currently conducting a joint research project pursuing technology-enabled maternal and child healthcare in rural areas of Ethiopia. In this paper, we report our findings and lessons learned from employing a UCD approach to address challenges stemming from lack of education, lack of training, and mostly illiterate users.