Health Education Africa (HEDUAfrica), previously known as Health Education South Africa (HEDUZA), is an initiative aimed at building awareness around various health issues and their impact on pregnant women, particularly in underdeveloped communities. Flow recently designed and built a new website for HEDUAfrica, www.hedu-africa.org, and is proud to have contributed to such an incredible project.
At the heart of the website is an interactive web application (the HEDU app), freely accessible online, which guides pregnant women and health-care professionals through a variety of health facts and advice, covering topics such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health and HIV/Aids.
The app, which features animated icons, offers “messages” for each topic, guiding users through important information and tips designed to raise awareness and facilitate general health care. Each message also features relevant video clips, images and downloadable documents.
The “About” section of the website sums up the project perfectly: “In the African context, storytelling is a major element in the conveying of information. [The HEDU app] will also be available on HEDUAfrica touch panels in waiting areas of maternity clinics at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, and the Elias Motsoaledi Clinic and Senaoane Clinic in Soweto.”
The website also features sections for news, partners and contributors, as well as categorised galleries for videos and downloadable resources.
Flow designer Lorraine Gumede was in charge of breathing life into the visual presentation of the website and app, as well as managing and overseeing the task at hand.
Says Lorraine: “Designing and project managing the HEDUAfrica website project was not a simple task. It required a combination of two separate designs, one for the website and another for the pregnancy-related information app known as the HEDU app. Visually marrying the two entities proved to be a task in itself, especially wire-framing and understanding the logic behind the app.
“I was extremely happy and fortunate to work with such an awesome Flow bunch that strived for only the best. Laura, our content genie, and Tinashe the technical whizz! Well done, guys!”
Says Flow writer and media developer Laura Maggs, who was in charge of uploading content to the website: “The idea was to create a platform that can be updated and added to over time – something simple and easy to navigate, yet sophisticated in appearance and attractive to look at.
“Before we started work on the new website, we were given the opportunity to visit some of the trial clinics in Soweto, which was a fantastic experience. It was inspiring to see so many dedicated health-care professionals giving of themselves, often under trying circumstances. Hopefully the people who make use of the app will get lots from it, and it will serve its purpose of doing good and raising awareness in communities.”
Flow web developer Tinashe Gunda built the website and ensured everything worked smoothly and translated without a hitch.
“This was a very cool project to work on. A great challenge. I wish the HEDUAfrica team all the best for the future,” says Tinashe.
In response to the new website, Professor Karen Sliwa, project leader of HEDUAfrica, says: “Dear everyone from the [Flow team]. I think the HEDUAfrica website looks really nice. I like the ‘beating hearts’ and the ‘growing foetus in the womb’ [animated icons], and I like the different colours. The images from the clinic are stunning.”
Adds Dr Friedrich Thienemann, also a project leader for HEDUAfrica: “Thank you for the hard work! [The live site] is great!”
The Flow team is looking forward to watching HEDUAfrica grow in leaps and bounds, as the team continues to branch out into communities and spread knowledge to people in need.
