VR game to learn about PMAD

VR-Eva

Leveraging VR's capabilities to educated people about signs and symptoms of and giving actionable steps on how to help new mothers

educate people about signs and symptoms of PMAD
give actionable steps on how to help new mothers

Delivered proof of concept through an interactive video using a Rec Room, a VR social platform

my role and contribution

Facilitated participatory design sessions and interviews with target users
Formalized game concept and its elements
Designed visual elements of the solution in Figma

client

Eli Lilly

A pharmaceutical company, well known for clinical research

domain

Health and Education

duration

~7 months
(2/3^rd research - 1/3^rd ideation and PoC)

team

3 UX Designers and I

tools

Figma, FigJam, Canva, Rec Room

challenge

Helping new mothers to overcome their PMAD and ease the experience

context

PMAD often goes undetected in new mom as people fail to identify it in new mothers

It can lead to , which can be harmful for the mother and the baby.

1 out of 7 or 15% - 20% women
go through PMAD
during pregnancy or postpartum

Read more on facts about PMAD

problem

People fail to identify PMAD in a new mother as they lack awareness about the topic.
Moreover, they don’t know how to help the mother to overcome it.

process in short

Research and analysis went hand in hand, as we got more people to interview...

Solution

VR-EVA

A gamified VR experience
to learn to identify PMAD in a new mother
and getting equipped with ways to help them in their postpartum journey

I did not know she was going through PMAD. Realized it later when I, almost after 2months, when I read some articles.

A friend

Identifying PMAD was delayed due to lack of information

Seemed pretty difficult to bring up the topic without hurting her feelings. I knew she needed help.

A friend

Need to know to how to easily communicate about PMAD

I tried to help with the chores. Wish I had a way know what else I could have helped her with. She didn't ask for help ever.

A friend

Need to figure out ways to help the mother, without her asking.

target users or players

This game is for a friend of a new mother

A friend, who is in a close contact with the mother, is an ideal audience because...

They can observe behavioral changes in mom as they know her well enough.
Unlike her spouse or immediate family, they are not directly affected by the whole situation
Hence, can take practical steps to help the mom, are out of the situation.

A friend who is in close contact with the mother

game characters

Meet Eva, our mom character

Eva’s character is simulated in the game.
She exhibits signs and symptoms of PMAD.

Meet Sam, our player character

Sam: short for ‘Samaritan’, a helpful person.
A gender neutral name cuz. friend could be anyone.

how the player learns about pMAD

This multi-level decision-based game follows observe-learn-implement strategy. The player has .

Let's understand it through a story.

Sam is visiting Eva at her home to see her and meet her baby Jo, for the first time after her delivery. While in the living room...

Sam observes that the living room is unusually messy and notices the phone ringing.

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Sam picks the phone and takes a message for Eva.

The call is from Eva’s OB/Gyn clinic, saying that she missed her appointment yesterday.

The message turns into an educational "totem" about Self Care in PMAD

VR-EVA is a gamified VR experience to make people aware of what PMAD is and how to identify its signs and symptoms in a new mother or the birth giver, to eventually help and support them during this period.

The totems are the information cards a player collects to learn about PMAD

Each totem is about one of the suggested by PSI in their 2-Day seminar "Pospartum Mood disorders: Components of Care".

"Self Care" Totem

Explains the importance of “Self care” for a new mother and suggests ways to help on achieving it

Sam wonders why Eva missed her appointment and decides to ask her about it...

Eva was ready to go to the doctor’s, but Jo was being fussy when she was leaving.

She felt that Jo needed her and hence decided to stay at home with the baby.

The game gives Sam two conversation choices to respond, to know what is really going on with Eva...

Sam chooses the first option, that says-
“It is important to take care of yourself too. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

But, Eva seems to be upset and the score goes down by 10 points!

Conversation choice element presenting the player with a right and a wrong choice

At the bottom, there is a score indicator.

Correct answer, score goes up by 50.

Wrong answer, score goes down by 10.

Decision Element: Conversation Choice

The game explains how some words could dismiss Eva’s feelings, and gives the player alternatives, that encourages Eva to share her problems...

The game explains how saying "You'll figure something out" dismisses Eva's feelings and discourages her to share more.

As Sam asks "Do you get time for yourself ?",
Eva opens up about her feelings and explains how she busy she has been.

Now, it's time for Sam to offer help to Eva...

Game presents two choices
1. Help on how to practice
"Self Care"
2. Help with the baby

Eva feels heard and is delighted when Sam offers her help.

Path choices element gives the player a perception of “build you own story”.

Eventually, the game plays out both paths to help player learn on all ways to help

Decision Element: Path Choice

outcome

Our team won "Best Project in VR category" title @ 2023 Capstone Showcase event

There is more!!!
Feel free to contact me, to know about the process and game levels at shariwa.malankar@gmail.com