Refunite | Taking UX into the field: Testing our search tool on urban refugees

Oct 21 15

Tamuka Hub is a learning space located in Nairobi for the urban refugees to learn and improve their computer skills. Their courses include introduction to computer, web-design, graphic design, money management for small business, and many more.

TamukaHub_Ida1 — *Refugees taking computer courses at Tamuka Hub.*

The space has computers with good internet connection, which helps the refugees keep up to date with what is happening around the world. Most of the refugees at Tamuka Hub come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

REFUNITE goes to Tamuka hub frequently to test prototypes and receive feedback from users. These activities help us improve the user experience of our search tool for separated families.

TamukaHub_Ida2 — *The REFUNITE User Experience (UX) team testing a new text messaging service with refugees from the DRC.*

The messaging service aims to make it even easier for our users around the world to communicate through SMS. Immediate feedback from Congolese families allows us to quickly iterate on the wording and structure without spending too much development time up front.

Testing a mobile website prototype, looking to identify any significant usability issues. — *Testing m.refunite.org through a prototype. The goal is to identify usability issues.*

Outside of classes, in their free time, the students can pop in to Tamuka Hub and use the computers to do some research and access the internet.

After classes adjourn, past and present students use the lab to browse the internet, send emails, and use Facebook.

Photos by Ida Jeng of REFUNITE