The Period Project

The Period Project is a mobile application that helps high school girls find crowdsourced pads and tampons on campus near them. Users of The Period Project are students who want to be part of a community of girls supporting girls. This includes both users in need pads and tampons on campus, and those interested in donating products to girls who need it.

Interact with the application here!

iPhone-11.jpg

Problem: Girls from low-income families often cannot afford to buy pads and tampons, and as a result, may stay home from school. This separation from their education leads girls to feel emotionally isolated, as if femininity and the pursuit of their dreams are mutually exclusive. How can a mobile application help these girls feel comfortable attending school while on their periods, and also make her feel supported?

User Research: I conducted user interviews with people who fit into my target audience of girls between the ages of 13 and 17. Interviews were separated into two sections: in the first, we discussed periods as a subject; in the second, we discussed existing period apps. From these interviews, some key takeaways included:

  • Every girl had, at one point, panicked about not having a pad or tampon while at school

  • Most girl felt better about being on their periods if their friends were also on theirs

  • Every mobile phone user had a period app installed

    • Period apps are largely deemed satisfactory, but provide little beyond just functionality (such as tracking when their next periods will come, or recording symptoms for the day)

Close analyses of the interviews only furthered proved that there is a need for a new kind of period app. Not one that offers just the logistical solution of helping low-income girls attend school while on their problems, but also one that solves the emotional isolation that periods can cause. Solving this deeply personal issue would help build a much more meaningful solution.

Design Work:

Solution: The Period Project not only builds a way for all girls to feel comfortable attending school while on their periods, but also fosters a sense of community and support that many of these girls may have lacked otherwise. For some girls, economic inequality leads to a feeling of isolation and inability to pursue their education; The Period Project tackles both to provide a deeply personal, meaningful experience.