The results of our testing were essentially inconclusive. Over the course of the semester we have gathered a wealth of information, both from current stakeholders working in the menstrual product access space, as well as from interviews, three rounds of surveying, and in person user testing.

We have important data and user insights, particularly in regards to the existence of the hidden user. However, we also found that feelings about menstrual products are highly individualized, that the existing solution in terms of the Rice Women’s Resource Center has some strengths, and there is desire for the Student Association’s in progress solution of free products in bathrooms.

Overall, our team can not at this point confidently propose an entirely new solution or method of providing menstrual products that would be an ideal solution. Though some users in testing liked our period product bundles of paper bag packing, others really didn’t.

Given that we have a vast amount of information, but no prototype that we can decisively say is an improvement on current solutions, what is our team to do?

Returning to the reframe phase of the design process, we are pivoting our final product for this project. At this point in order to answer “HCW facilitate access to a long-term supply of high quality menstrual products to those who need it on Rice’s campus?”, we must ask “HCW share insights and data across stakeholders in the menstrual product access space at Rice University?”

In order to do this, our team will be producing a “State of Menstrual Product Access” Report which we will distribute to all stakeholders on Rice’s Campus. This report will serve to share our insights and data, as well as get all stakeholders on the same page about what these disparate groups are working on. Our hope is that this report will allow our insights be be implemented long-term, and will ultimately facilitate better access to menstrual products.