Saahas for a Cause

2024

A culturally tailored initiative empowering South Asian elders with safety solutions through user-centric design, in-depth research, and strategic distribution, reaching over 120 community members with impactful, actionable insights.

Defining the Problem: Empowering South Asian Elders

South Asian elders face unique safety challenges, including online scams and physical risks, often compounded by cultural and language barriers. I led efforts to uncover these pain points through empathy-driven interviews with elders, caregivers, and community leaders. Synthesizing this research, I defined a clear product vision: create an accessible, culturally resonant resource to address both digital and physical safety concerns. This vision aligned cross-functional stakeholders and provided a foundation for the project.

Key Impact: Delivered a user-focused problem definition that guided the project’s direction and ensured stakeholder alignment.

Leading as the Project Manager: Driving Success Through Strategic Coordination

As Project Manager, I oversaw all aspects of the project, from stakeholder alignment to ensuring timely delivery of milestones. I developed a detailed Gantt chart to map timelines, allocate responsibilities, and track progress across key phases, including research, design, and distribution. Regular team check-ins facilitated clear communication and swift adaptation to challenges, ensuring both quality and efficiency.

Key Contribution: Successfully managed a cross-functional team, delivering the project on time and exceeding engagement goals.

Designing with Empathy: From Insights to Actionable Solutions

Using insights gathered during user research, I applied user story mapping to understand functional and emotional needs: “As an elder, I need clear, simple safety advice to protect myself.” These stories shaped the comic’s design, with large fonts, culturally resonant visuals, and clear narratives simplifying complex safety topics. Through iterative feedback loops, I ensured the content remained engaging and effective.

Key Skill: Translated diverse user needs into a practical, visually compelling educational tool.

Adapting and Scaling Through Continuous Feedback

Post-distribution, I integrated community feedback to refine the comic’s content and expand its reach. Insights from elders and community stakeholders informed iterative updates, improving clarity and addressing emerging safety concerns. This approach ensured the comic’s ongoing relevance while uncovering new opportunities to scale its impact to other demographics.

Key Impact: Used agile, feedback-driven improvements to enhance the product and scale its effectiveness.

Innovative Strategies to Maximize Audience Reach

To amplify the comic’s impact, I developed a TikTok marketing plan targeting younger family members as safety advocates. This strategy bridged generational gaps by encouraging intergenerational conversations about elder safety while increasing Saahas for Cause’s visibility on social media. By leveraging culturally relevant, shareable content, I positioned the comic as a tool for shared learning.

Key Outcome: Created a creative, scalable strategy that expanded engagement across generations.