Abstract
Ko-Maisha is a platform that communicates to the public key information on matters regarding Covid-19 to confront misinformation. The project explores the potential for digital media in improving situational awareness during epidemics or pandemics, especially in the African context. Without accurate information, fear and stigma take hold. Misinformation has also grown on a large scale, due to the use of social media platforms. Therefore, Ko-Maisha application helps users access verified information from a single platform. The application enables users to: -Access information on specialists nearby and even take an appointment. It has a rich database of specialists and hospitals where users can browse and select specialists depending on their needs. This is important in the African context as many individuals when faced with an emergency or fall sick do not have direct contact of doctors. -The platform also encourages positive behaviour change to reduce and mitigate the risk of Covid-19. -Individuals can access updated news or information, credible and trustworthy sources are needed especially during a crisis, particularly from official sources. -Individuals can also keep up with statistics that are constantly updated.
Interaction Modality
Ko-Maisha has one touchpoint for users, which is a mobile application.
Technology
The technology used was sketch and protopie to create a realistic application.
User Experience
The application is intuitive, users are engaged with interactive videos and beautifully crafted illustrations for demonstration purposes to communicate essential information. All interactive elements are consistent, the onboarding process is a simple walk-through process to reduce friction. The navigation is simple to enable users to complete all the primary tasks easily.
Further Developments
The application objective was specifically meant to be used in the Kenyan or African context because African countries face similar challenges, the application can evolve and be adapted in future to be used in any pandemic or emergency situations.
