The Focus
Designing high impact visual communications for the PPCR (Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response), in addition to creating an identity for their telemedicine platform
Communications needed to convey information to both doctors and potential patients who would utilise the platform
Messaging needed a certain treatment for universal appeal, making it easy to understand for the masses
The Design
Elephant titled the platform ‘Covid ’Madat’, interspersing English and Marathi, the local language in Devanagari script for easy accessibility
A communication flow was envisioned based on the intended sequence of events
Simple, extremely cogent Marathi communication was deployed throughout the design
The team designed socially impactful content collateral with easy to follow instructions, sequencing and visual arrangement
Design was created for impact and utility
The Story
The concept of Telemedicine is simple: the remote care of a patient by a doctor, via the application of technology and related techniques. Here, naturally, distance is the main challenge, which is also a benefit in disguise. In the age of COVID-19, where social distancing has become paramount, the concept of Telemedicine carries an immense weight.
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed many notions and practices around the world.
As immediate access to medical advice became need of the hour due to precautionary lockdowns imposed across the country, telemedicine emerged as the inevitable solution.
On March 25, 2020, the Health Ministry published an amendment to the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 (“Code of Conduct”) that gave statutory support and basis for the practice of telemedicine in India.
Given that India also has an extremely high number of patients per qualified doctors, creating a remote system where doctors don’t necessarily have to visit premises that can end up compromising their health, this is an integral move.
The PPCR (Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response) gathered a group of tech startups under its umbrella to begin the development of their own telemedicine platform. In tandem, they approached the team at Elephant to bring the concept to life through design visualisation and relevant communication for the doctors and the potential patients who would use it.
“The PPCR (Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response) gathered a group of tech startups under its umbrella to begin the development of their own telemedicine platform. In tandem, they approached the team at Elephant to bring the concept to life through design visualisation and relevant communication. These were essential components of the platform for the doctors and the potential patients who would use it.”
Design that Saves Lives
Historically, design has been extremely crucial in the realm of humanitarian activity. When it comes to public health crises, design has been extremely instrumental because of one simple truth: A public health strategy lives or dies by the effectiveness of its communication. An impactful communication about what, why, how, when and where of a certain condition and its solutions can actually save lives.
We can see successful examples from Leprosy Poster Leaflets designed in 1955 that saved lives in Nigeria; the bold graphics used in the 1980s to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and even in 2014-15, during the Ebola outbreak.
These designs aren’t ‘pretty’. They don’t aim to please the eye. Nor are they supposed to soothe. They are supposed to create a sense of urgency and clarity where there is an outline of what must be done. They must be, above all things, purely functional.
Taking cues from this rich history of design-based social communication, Elephant decided to utilise basic, functional graphics. We combined this with clear, cogent multilingual script (English and Marathi) in order to make it highly accessible.
We termed the platform COVID ‘Madat’, standing for ‘Help’ in Marathi and Hindi, which would create an instant recall amongst people in need. The use of Devanagri script was also to facilitate easy understanding for people from all walks of society.
At Elephant, we also believe in a ‘Purpose over Profit’ principle during these unprecedented, trying times. Thus, our involvement was strictly pro bono.
“A public health strategy lives or dies by the effectiveness of its communication. An impactful communication about what, why, how, when and where of a certain condition and its solutions can actually save lives.”
Necessary Distinctions
The team also ensured that the communications between doctors and patients were differentiated, and personalised. If the design was unnecessarily complex in language and treatment, it would simply alienate some people and prevent them from using the platform.
The platform is using a volunteer model when it comes to on-boarding doctors. We needed to appeal to them first, since without them, the platform will not be useful. Thus, as can be observed, we’ve given clear callouts to doctors who are more likely to be available – like those who are retired or those staying at home due to the pandemic.
“Taking cues from this rich history of design-based social communication, Elephant decided to utilise basic, functional graphics. We combined this with clear, cogent multilingual script (English, Hindi and Marathi) in order to make it highly accessible. We termed the platform COVID ‘Madat’, standing for ‘Help’ in Marathi and Hindi, which would create an instant comprehension amongst patients and doctors alike.”
Rapid Response and Results
The team deserves a special mention here for the rapid turnaround rate – namely, one week, despite everyone working remotely. This included the strategy, the visualisation of the sequence of events, the visuals and even the nomenclature – plus its translation in local languages, along with graphics and communication in various formats.
After we were done publishing this communication on the 16th, the response was phenomenal. An unexpected, yet welcome result was the Maharashtra government adopting the platform and the helpline with all the communications in tow – assuring us that these had been effective and useful.
The team at Elephant is proud to be contributing in a collective manner during this pandemic. Quick, comprehensive and accessible design could indeed save lives and will continue to do so!
“People ignore designs that ignore people”