David's Journey
I met David in 2021 on the outskirts of Mbarara, Uganda. It was not a chance encounter. He was already using a product I was designing and was excited to talk to me about his work and experience. When I arrived, he wanted me to see his brick-making operation and film him making a brick to show my friends at home. With some convincing, I could film him using the appointment reminder product I was there to evaluate.
A few days after shooting, I returned to David with a new smartphone for him with his video loaded on it! The project stakeholders and members were also grateful to meet and hear from David. It was a fun and memorable time.
Reflection
Meeting with end users is of deep importance to me. Opportunities to meet users bring my work to focus – they question my beliefs and goals, my understanding of whom we need to work with, and what should be worked on. As a designer and researcher, I’m always growing my practice to best capture users and their context for my audience.