About Us
The HCDExchange is JSI’s technical hub for human-centered design (HCD), advancing locally-led, HCD and public health (HCD+Public Health) in Africa and Asia. We do this by increasing access to and use of HCD resources, and expertise in public health programming. We promote the localization of design through workforce development and technical assistance, supporting country-based public health actors to integrate design into their programs and how teams work together.
We work with stakeholders working or interested in working at the intersection of HCD+Public Health to leverage HCD approaches to improve implementation in low-resource settings.
How We Work
Since its establishment in 2020, the HCDExchange has been working to define, strengthen, and build a robust, efficient, equitable, and transparent HCD+Public Health field. We connect product development with solution implementation to respond to key challenges in public health, focusing on three impact areas: localization, workforce development, and user-driven health solutions. Our work is focused on raising awareness, strengthening capacity, increasing engagement, and disseminating evidence, learning, and tools to expand and enhance the practice of HCD in public health programming.
We believe that HCD has the potential to transform the public health sector, and we are committed to turning this belief into action. Through our work, we facilitate meaningful connections and foster collaboration among our clients, partners, and collaborators – including young and emerging HCD+Public Health designers, experienced professionals, and public health implementers. We also promote continuous learning to ensure that, together, we drive innovation and amplify the impact of HCD in public health.
Lead
We accelerate workforce development by cultivating local HCD talent through professional development and creating demand for HCD expertise in public health, facilitated through our Career Portal.
Connect
Our X-Change forum connects practitioners to resources, opportunities and collaborators.
Learn
We spearhead knowledge, evidence, and engagement for a vibrant community of diverse practitioners to share expertise, insights and collaborate through our Knowledge Hub.
Support
We provide technical assistance for public health practitioners to promote the integration of HCD in public health programs and ways of working.
Our History
The HCDExchange emerged from a 2018 convening in Tanzania, funded by the Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. This gathering sought to explore and draw learnings from pioneering large-scale projects at the intersection of HCD and ASRH. Notable initiatives included PSI/Adolescents 360 (with programs like Kuwa Mjanja in Tanzania, Smart Start in Ethiopia, and 9ja Girls in Nigeria), Pathfinders (Beyond Bias in Pakistan, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso), Marie Stopes Zambia (Diva Centres in Zambia and Future Fab in Kenya), and Choice 4 Change.
After four years of significant progress in advancing HCD in ASRH, the HCDExchange embraces a refreshed strategy to further its mission in Africa and Asia. This new strategy focuses on three impact areas: localization, workforce development, and user-driven health solutions. It positions the HCDExchange as a knowledge hub and market shaper, driving the integration of HCD and public health in Africa and Asia through locally-led initiatives. This approach, supported by a theory of change, aims to enhance the sustainability, feasibility, and desirability of our services and products. Developed in collaboration with a dedicated community of practitioners and experts, the strategy builds on the achievements of the past four years.
