human-centered design for water, sanitation, and hygiene: Insights from jakarta

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate how human-centered design (HCD), combined with participatory design methods, can address complex problems in communities such as the slums in Jakarta, Indonesia. Literature review points out that even though it embraces a participatory approach and employs some participatory methods, HCD is not purely participatory. This is because HCD allows designers (and researchers) a certain degree of control that would not be accommodated within a pure participatory approach. After establishing proper reasonings for choosing the HCD methodology, the methods of Card Sort, Solution Card, and In-depth Interviews were utilized to investigate the problems of the people living in slums in Jakarta, especially in the field of WASH: water, sanitation, and hygiene. Insights gathered suggest that most of the issues are closely related to low income and the lack of proper infrastructure in the community. Utilizing the methodology of HCD as well as encouraging participatory engagement in a context with such complex issues was proven to be essential in understanding the problems at hand and informing the creation of suitable solutions.