Welcome to the first edition of The Journey Map, Ideate Innovation’s monthly newsletter! We’re excited to take you along as we explore the power of human-centered design and share how it’s helping us create meaningful solutions to complex problems around the world. 

Each month, we’ll offer insights into our ongoing projects, spotlight innovative work, and provide tips on designing with empathy, creativity, and purpose. Whether you're a designer, researcher, or just curious about how thoughtful design can address real-world challenges, we hope to spark ideas and collaborations that inspire.

🗓️ This Month at Ideate

• In the Field: This month, our team has been conducting research on banking behaviors and preferences for the launch of a new full-service digital bank in Pakistan. We're diving deep into understanding how Pakistani audiences perceive banking products and what branding and messaging resonate with them. Stay tuned for some exciting insights!

• Workshop Spotlight: We recently partnered with Precision Medicine Lab Peshawar for World Interaction Design Day, hosting the workshop “Biofutures: Design Thinking for the Planet and Beyond.” Participants worked in diverse teams to explore bio-design principles, developing nature-inspired solutions and bringing their future visions to life.

• Community Storytelling: Our third episode of Designgoi took place on October 11, where guest speakers from different fields shared a memorable moment or interaction in the form of one picture and one story. This special session celebrated World Mental Health Day, with stories from some wonderful people working in the mental well-being space. Watch the event recording here. 

• Event Recap: We attended Gitex Global and Expand Northstar in Dubai from October 13-18. It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with industry leaders and explore solutions to challenges in finance, tech inclusion, healthcare, and sustainability.

🔎 Project Spotlight 

Breaking Barriers: Redesigning Menstrual Health Solutions for Women in Pakistan

We teamed up with Bopinc to better understand the menstrual health needs, practices and challenges of menstruating women in urban and semi-urban Pakistan. From cultural norms, societal taboos, economic hurdles and the family influences that shape women’s lives, our research helped guide recommendations on menstrual health solutions that meet the needs of women in our context. Read more about the project here.

If you're interested in knowing how Ideate can help with gender-sensitive product and service design, reach out to Sehel Khandwala, our Head of Service Design at [email protected].

🍪 Bite-sized Insights

• Ideate’s menstrual health research in Pakistan revealed an interesting opportunity at the intersection of cultural values and environmental action. Many women expressed discomfort with the idea of used sanitary pads being visible to men, as this conflicts with their cultural and religious beliefs. Biodegradable pads offered an appealing solution, as they decompose much faster than traditional pads once disposed. This would help prevent "impure things" like menstrual blood from being visible or exposed, presenting a unique opportunity for companies to create eco-friendly menstrual solutions that respect both environmental concerns and cultural beliefs.

• Have you ever wondered how menstrual cups can transform the experience of menstruation for school-age children? Studies in South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, and rural India have revealed that when young people are educated on how to use menstrual cups, they often prefer them over traditional pads. With advantages like reduced fear of leakage, enhanced confidence, and greater comfort, menstrual cups also promote active participation in school during menstruation.^{[1] [2] [3]}

🍿 This Month’s Top Picks

📖 Reading: Mythos by Stephen Fry

📺 Watching: Rams (2020)

📻 Listening to: “Towers of Silence” episode of the 99% Invisible podcast

📮 Let’s Work Together

At Ideate, collaboration isn’t just a value—it’s at the heart of everything we do. Whether you’re looking to collaborate or want to explore how human-centered design can help your work, we’re all ears. Let’s brainstorm together:

Ali Murtaza, Partner & Head of Design– [email protected]

Or write to us on Instagram or LinkedIn! We're excited to see how we can work together.

Citations

1) Mason, L., Laserson, K., Oruko, K., Nyothach, E., Alexander, K., Odhiambo, F., ... & Mohammed, A. (2015). Adolescent schoolgirls' experiences of menstrual cups and pads in rural western Kenya: a qualitative study. Waterlines, 34(1), 15-30.

2) Howard, C., Rose, C. L., Trouton, K., Stamm, H., Marentette, D., Kirkpatrick, N., ... & Paget, J. (2011). FLOW (finding lasting options for women). Canadian Family Physician, 57(6), e208-e215.

3) Beksinska, M. E., Smit, J., Greener, R., Todd, C. S., Lee, M. L. T., Maphumulo, V., & Hoffmann, V. (2015). Acceptability and performance of the menstrual cup in South Africa: a randomized crossover trial comparing the menstrual cup to tampons or sanitary pads. Journal of Women's Health, 24(2), 151-158.