Prioritizing User Needs To Accelerate Contraceptive Innovation

Challenge

Voluntary family planning is one of the great public health advances of the past century. Enabling women to make informed decisions about whether and when to have children reduces unintended pregnancies as well as maternal and newborn deaths. It also increases educational and economic opportunities for women and leads to healthier families and communities.

Some women do not access or use contraceptives for a variety of reasons, even when they want to avoid pregnancy. They may have misconceptions about their risk of becoming pregnant or be deterred by concerns related to cost, inconvenience, or side effects. In some cases, opposition from family members or a limited range of available methods can be a key factor in non-use. Additionally, some current users might also be unsatisfied with current options. Continued innovation in contraceptive technology is needed to address these barriers and meet the demands of women in different circumstances and at different stages of their lives.

Work

In 2017, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invested in the CT Innovation Lab project (see futureofct.org) to imagine the future of women’s contraception. The project leveraged human-centered design methodologies to facilitate insight-driven ideation in order to generate new product ideas in women’s contraceptive technology.

Building on this work, Catapult Design partnered with Spindle Design, DODO Design, YUX, and Alt Unfold to better understand and prioritize the unmet needs of women as they relate to modern contraceptive methods (existing, in the pipeline, and blue-sky ideas from the CTI Lab) in order to catalyze opportunities and innovation in product development. Our team of human-centered designers, market researchers, and technical advisers will engage with users/ non-users, influencers, and providers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal, along with contraceptive funders and developers to drive innovation in female contraceptives, validated by demand forecasting and market potential.

This work is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Results

This work is currently underway, so stay tuned for updates.