DIDIER Soap opera
(Ivory Coast)
I led the team that developed Didier, an interactive soap opera designed to engage urban young men in Ivory Coast, encouraging them to be supportive partners and to respect their girlfriends' family planning decisions. The idea was inspired by observing how these young men eagerly gathered in public spaces where TVs were available to watch Latin soap operas.
Most of them did not own a TV, and watching videos on their phones was unviable because data was too expensive. That is why Didier was designed to be delivered via SMS and Facebook, platforms they accessed daily. Later, the story was adapted into a comic book and shared through WhatsApp.
The project included building the competence of field partners in Human-Centered Design.
It was a collaboration between IDEO.org and PSI with USAID.
