Designing for Women in Menopause
How might we design a sustainable and inclusive system that enables the effective transfer of knowledge, experiences, and support related to menopause across generations of women, ensuring accessibility, empathy, and cultural relevance?
Overview
Background
Menopause marks a significant transition in a woman’s life, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. It brings a wide range of physical, emotional, and psychological changes due to hormonal shifts. Much like the onset of menstruation or maternity, menopause is deeply personal and varies widely in experience.
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Historically, women have turned to their mothers, aunts, and elder women in their communities for guidance. This informal, generational knowledge-sharing is rich in cultural wisdom but often lacks structure, inclusivity, and accessibility in today’s fast-paced, digitally connected world.
Problem Statement
How might we design effective communication tools that support the intergenerational transfer of menopause-related knowledge, enabling women to share personal experiences, cultural wisdom, and practical guidance across generations in a way that is inclusive, empathetic, and adaptable to individual journeys?
Process
I began by exploring the flow of information from older generations to younger, in three phases of women’s life- Menstruation, Maternity and Menopause. Women in different phases were interviewed to understand the impact of the information that their previous generation has conveyed to them. One gap that was identified here was this information being limited to the women in the family. Men or children in the family are not very aware of what happens in women’s life during these phases, especially menopause. To understand it better, a customer journey was mapped.
While thinking of a solution to this, gaps were identified in the customer journey. On the other hand, a competitive analysis was created to understand the industry solutions to these issues. At the intersection of this, a solution was formulated which would tackle the issue of awareness about menopause among family members which can also be scalable to future generations.
Proposal
The proposal included a menopause awareness boardgame and family learning ecosystem which would help normalise conversations around menopause in a family setting. The board game is designed to foster empathy, understanding and shared knowledge within families.
