So giving soap, water & infrastructure is the solution?
What I learnt
Despite increasing access to hygiene resources like soap, water & infrastructure, illnesses are still affecting communities due to poor hygiene practices. Studies show that 47% of diarrheal diseases could be reduced simply by washing hands properly. Yet, even where water and soap are available, the behavioral adoption of hygiene is lacking. Its because of how people think, feel, and behave toward hygiene.
The question I had
How can we make hygiene habit a second nature, starting early at the roots of habit transformation?
How research can change
Informed observation - where hygiene becomes a performance
At a rural school, I observed children’s handwashing routines after informing them of the project. Students were camera-conscious and followed all the handwashing steps diligently, as they had been informed about the project and the observation. Most relied on buckets, soap, and even stones to scrub dirt.
Taking a step back
Silent observation - uncovering true hygiene habits
Assumption vs Reality
Germsters
A monthly hygiene habit kit : where habits meet play
Inspired by Charles Duhigg’s Cue–Routine–Reward framework from The Power of Habit, I designed Germsters to instill hygiene practices as playful, repeatable habits. It is a monthly curriculum add-on for preschools to teach one hygiene habit at a time. Each month will introduce a new hygiene habit using similar playful methods to ensure consistent habit-building.
Cue
Using metaphors to influence behaviour
Germsters uses playful metaphors like 'Germ Monsters' to help children visualize germs as sneaky invaders. This helps children associate germs with something tangible and undesirable, reinforcing the importance of handwashing.
Reward
Small wins, big impact
To close the habit loop, Germsters uses fun rewards to encourage children to keep up their routines. Stickers, badges, and Hygiene Hero certificates celebrate their progress and provide positive reinforcement. To make them more engaging, one child is appointed as the weekly 'Germ Inspector', a rotating role that adds responsibility and peer encouragement to the routine.
Testing it out
From urban homes
Children around my neighborhood loved the surprise elements and visual storytelling. Parents noted an increase in their child’s interest in handwashing and hygiene-related questions
To rural classrooms
Despite language barriers, the visuals overcame the need for translation. Kids began following handwashing steps post-session, showing curiosity and a desire to repeat the experience. The use of metaphors added a creative and emotional layer that helped make the learning more relatable and memorable.
Reflection & learnings
As a designer, I set out to tackle a major healthcare challenge WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), the most pressing yet unsolved global issues. While many initiatives that exists, focused on providing basic resources like water and soap, I soon realized these were surface-level solutions.
The real gap lies in behavior. Habit change needs time, tools, and continuous emotional reinforcement. This project taught me that to truly shift user mindsets, observation and reflection are essential. And when addressing heavy topics that requires a change in mental models, building understanding through familiar, emotionally engaging metaphors becomes critical for lasting impact.
