May 2011
21 posts
I like this idea for the car —> Alex Bogusky Helps Create Peepster, The Ideal Spy Camera | Co.Design http://t.co/1r4KrtQ
I just became the mayor of Tennis Zone on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/kSJ01m
Jocks That Rock on Product Tweets —> http://t.co/8Q2zRKM
Play
Finally uploaded my #BigRedux presentation to SlideShare: Bedsider: Re-Branding Birth control http://slidesha.re/k2Fd4y #ixdadc
RT @acarvin Absolutely extraordinary new video: This is how shooting breaks out in one part of Sanaa today. http://youtu.be/SeACidKQ_eI
Bedsider at The Big Redux →
slideshare.net
Finally got around to uploading my presentation about re-branding birth control and human-centered design delivered at The Big Redux DC on April 30, 2011.
bedsider.org: women's health and web design.
Check out this great post about Bedsider from Desi Gonzalez. —Larry
I’m not a big fan of award shows. Winners of the Academy award are undoubtedly the favorites of a bunch of old white men, and I’m convinced that the people behind the Grammys are completely out of touch with what kinds of music people actually listen to.
Still, I was really excited to find out that, on April 12, Bedsider.org was nominated for a Webby Award.
Bedsider, an initiative of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, is an online resource on birth control. There is so much to love about this website. It provides detailed information about the various methods of birth control, including side-by-side comparisons and side effects. This ain’t no health class lecture, though. The language is colloquial and fun, the graphics are cute and sassy, and the website, with its testimonials from women and Fact or Fiction videos, generally gives off an approachable vibe. These folks are never preachy, discussing sex in a positive way (with no slut-shaming to be found). For those ladies who have trouble remember to take the pill or switch the patch, Bedsider also has a free reminder service: you type in the kind of birth control you take, decide whether you want to be reminded via text or email, and voila—birth control bliss in your inbox.
In addition to its extensive content on pregnancy and STD* prevention, the website benefits from beautiful design. You can explore the various methods pictorially (above; note how the designers cleverly used a cork to represent the oh-so-trusty** withdrawal method). The website isn’t overly girly, covered in pink and purple arabesques like the packaging for so many women’s health products. I hope that the reason for this is that the site’s creators, while targeting primarily a female audience, want to reach out to both men and women. Because when it comes to baby-makin’, both parties involved are responsible.
Bedsider.org is a great example of how technology and design can promote health and activist issues. I’m sure if you comb the Interwebs hard enough, you can find most of this birth control information floating around somewhere. The difference is that Bedsider makes it easy for women (and men) to learn about their options in just one place, employing a design and language that is both refreshing and inviting. I think we could use a little more innovative web design to aid feminist causes.
So go on, visit the Webby Awards site and vote for Bedsider.org!
*I mean STI, but it still feels weird to call it that so I really mean STD.
**Not. And while Bedsider.org generally seems to steer clear of passing judgment, they don’t seem too keen on coitus interruptus. And I’m with them; maybe sometimes a bit of judgment is a good thing.
My first time at Cal Academy! (@ California Academy of Sciences w/ 4 others) http://4sq.com/iOmvNQ
Openmhealth.org moves evaluation from a “stovepipe” approach to one that is open. #mh11
After watching a marathon of @TheKilling_AMC this weekend with @Zoeandme I’m sure it’s the best thing on TV. Who’s with me?
Enjoying The Big Redux from the get-go with Dan Willis’s (@uxcrank) keynote. http://t.co/ZjQ1abN #ixdadc
