Impactful research with user-experience design
How do you synthesize and communicate research findings in a way that is evidence-based, nuaced and emotionally resonant? In collaboration with Claudia Abreu-Lopes and Aparna Mukherjee from the Integit add . git commit -m “amended title-second post”rnational Institute for Global Health, I turned to an unlikely source for inspiration for a study on gender-based violence: user experience (UX) design. Study results—funded by UNFPA Malaysia—are captured in the recently published report Portraits: Journeys of GBV Survivors across Malaysia’s One Stop Crisis Centres. In it, we use personas and journey maps to bring survivor experiences to life—and make service delivery challenges more tangible.
The Personas & Journeys method is rooted in UX research, where it’s commonly applied to understand how different users engage with digital products and services. In this project, I adapted it to trace how GBV survivors— with varied backgrounds and vulnerabilities—navigate the care and support ecosystem. We developed fictional but evidence-based profiles of survivor types and mapped their likely pathways through the system. We gathered evidence from a combination of individual semi-structured interviews and more informal conversations with both survivors and their carers. These findings were further enriched by insights from the relevant literature. These ‘portraits’ revealed not just where gaps and barriers exist, but also conveyed what those barriers feel like for those experiencing them—while also adding an extra layer of anonymity to primary accounts. The report has been well received from Malaysian organisations working on women’s issues (for an example see here) and has been featured in national media (for an example, see here)
This approach does more than present findings in a visually engaging format. It can create a reference point for a range of actors—civil society, health providers, policy teams—who might otherwise struggle to conceptualise whom the system is meant to serve. Additionally, personas and journeys can become a touchstone for checking assumptions, reflecting/debating/validating priorities, and understanding differing viewpoints. In this sense, they can complement more traditional tools like theories of change (ToC) by grounding them in the lived experience of real people. Like ToC, their value increases when revisited at key moments throughout a programme’s lifecycle.
There’s real potential for this approach within MEL in international development. For example, personas and journey maps can reframe how we conduct needs assessments—which often inform early stages of programme design or evaluation but are rarely revisited. In a field that constantly wrestles with complexity, nuance and communication, blending storytelling with rigorous evidence in a reusable format can have a powerful impact for internal and external audiences alike.