Vare

Academic Case Study — July 2022 – September 2022

A harm reduction app that allows users to reduce the risks and harmful effects of the recreational drugs they use.

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Role

Research

Copywriting

Branding

Case Study

Understanding the Problem

Electronic dance music events (hereafter referred to as EDM events) in particular have a popular culture of drug use

"In a study of 775 attendees at dance events, clubs, and rock festivals in Belgium, those who used illegal drugs were 2.5 times more likely to express a preference for dance music (Van Havere et al., 2011)."

From July 2018 to February 2020, of 2,240 Edmonton residents surveyed, 59% reported using both alcohol and drugs at EDM events, while 14% used drugs exclusively. The top drugs reported were ecstasy/MDMA (92%), cannabis (72%), LSD (45%), cocaine (43%), psilocybin (39%), ketamine (29%), and MDA (20%) (City of Edmonton, 2020).

Understanding the Problem

EDM events attract an adolescent audience, who are prone to riskier behaviour

Examining a study conducted between 2011-2013, of approximately 15,000 high school seniors in the U.S., 19.8% reported attending a rave (J. Palamar et al., 2016).

From July 2018 to February 2020, of the 2240 Edmonton residents who reported attending EDM events, 44% of them were between the ages of 18-24 (City of Edmonton, 2020).

Understanding the Problem

Canada specifically, has an increasingly toxic  drug supply

At least 2,272 British Columbians have lost their lives to toxic drugs in 2022 (Farnworth, 2022)

Understanding current solutions

Most EDM events offer on-site medical care and a rare few offer harm reduction services

To reduce the risk of overdose deaths, most large-scale EDM events offer on-site medical care. The quality of care varies, as some festivals rely on off-site emergency care resources for high-risk health cases. This results in delayed treatment and a strain on local health resources. A select few offer harm reduction services as well, though it is rare due to business and legal restrictions. The Shambhala festival in BC, Canada has grown to become an industry-leader for employing effective harm reduction measures in a festival setting (McClure, 2022), these are measures that seek to reduce the harms associated with drug use, when enforcing abstinence is not feasible. One service they provide entails checking the attendees’ drugs for toxic contaminants.

Primary Research

Interview Objectives

I interviewed 2 professionals experienced with facilitating and providing medical care at EDM events. I also interviewed 5 target users: people who have experience using drugs at EDM events.
Interviews were conducted remotely over Zoom.

View Interview Script

Limitations

The insights found may not be fully reflective of all genders and an accurate representation of Canada, as ⅘ interviewees were male and all interviewees lived in Vancouver, BC. Due to inaccessibility to interviewees, I chose not to target EDM event staff or emergency medical personnel as users of my solution.

Insights were gathered on shared pain points, goals and behaviours

EDM event attendees have a strong sense of community

This however, can vary depending on the event. Some events nurture supportive communities by promoting pro-social behaviour, while others may develop a reputation for a rowdier, disrespectful audience.

“I think there's a very strong sense of community within the EDM space. Taking care of each other, even though you're all just complete strangers.”

Key Themes

Image Courtesy of SMF Ltd from Shambhala Music Festival

Emergency response is a shared responsibility

Drug-related medical emergencies often leave those in need physically and mentally unable to seek help. This is made worse with the large crowds and blaring music and lights. That is why the event staff rely on bystanders or the individual’s friends to get their attention, which results in many delays to receive medical aid.

“You rely on bystanders or you rely on an individual being seen to be signalling or in need of distress.”

Image Courtesy of Yvette de Wit on Unsplash

There is a lack of knowledge regarding safer drug use and on-site medical care at EDM events

Younger audiences and people taking drugs for the first time display particularly risky behaviour. Most interviewees did not use on-site care services due to unawareness of resources available, fear of judgement or legal ramifications, or unwillingness to expend effort to use these resources.

“I didn't even know there was a med bay.”

“We were definitely very scared about approaching anyone and letting them know that (our friend) had taken MDMA. We were pretty young, and we didn't know much about anything back then.”

Image Courtesy of Ankors

Persona

Experience Mapping

An embodiment of shared goals, painpoints and behaviours gleaned from my interviews

Evaluating opportunities for intervention in my target user’s experience, I chose to take a proactive approach and focus on the phase before Kevin attends the event. This is when Kevin is actively seeking information on how to take drugs and is in a clear-headed state of thinking.

Mid-fi  Wireframes—Version 1

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3 rounds of user testing were conducted over Zoom as well as in person, with a total of 13 user testers.

Round 1

Due to difficulty understanding technical terms and jargon, users were not able to understand parts of the process, as well as some of the data displayed in the results

Users had a false sense of security of the safety of their drug after seeing what they perceived to be a low amount of toxicity found in drugs that shared the same characteristics as theirs

User Testing

Disclaimer

Before users can proceed, the app makes it clear that drug-checking results are meant to viewed as a general reference guide only, and are not an accurate indicator of the safety of their drug.

Increasing understanding

To aid users in knowing what options to select when choosing their drug characteristics, they have the added option of viewing characteristic descriptions
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Mid-fi  Wireframes—Version 2

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User Testing—Round 2

A lack of knowledge of what drug-checking is greatly impacts their understanding of the app, perhaps an onboarding process is required.

The statistics shown in the results are confusing, and users don't immediately know how to digest that information.

Drug warnings in lieu of drug check statistics

To prevent users from making their own conclusions on how safe their drug is, they now can only view toxic drug warnings that have been officially issues by drug checking and overdose prevention sites across Canada. The information presented is also much more decisive and easier to absorb.

Helpful tips and advice

In the unfortunate event that users may have ingested these drugs, viewing a drug warning alert also sets users up to be able to identify the situation that there in, and guide them in how they should react.

Mid-fi  Wireframes—Version 3

View Prototype

User Testing—Round 3

Users do not expect there to be any additional information under the drug warnings

Convenient and easy to use

Drug-checking alerts provided by organizations across Canada are all centralized in one app, displayed in the same comprehensive format, and rephrased to use everyday language. These alerts warn users of toxic drugs that may be circulating in their area. For our target audience–who may not be inclined to expend much effort to increase their physical safety–this is an effective, convenient alternative that increases the chances of users avoiding substances that have a high risk of overdose.

Only see what's relevant

By taking a photo of one’s drug, Vare identifies its characteristics and only shows users alerts for drugs that may be a match with theirs, so that they can quickly find what they’re looking for.

Helping you help your friends

In the event that the toxic drug is ingested, Vare teaches users to recognize symptoms in their friends earlier, so that they can seek help proactively. The app also provides emergency advice and tips for users to act upon while they await medical attention, as the volatility of an EDME environment could delay the service they need. Icons and summarized points are used so that the information presented is easily digestible.

Guiding you to potentially life-saving resources

To be 100% sure of the safety of their drug, Vare provides a call-to-action for users to seek out drug-checking services near them, a resource they may not have been aware of. It also reduces the obscurity and stigma against these services by providing information on how they work, and using non-judgemental language throughout. By encouraging users to take advantage of this service, the risk they take using substances at EDM events decreases greatly.

Interactive Prototype

Reflection

More than just EDM events

With the overdose crisis in Canada affecting much more than EDM event attendees, I would explore expanding my target audience. I hope to reach out to drug-checking organizations in Canada to gather their feedback on my proposed product, and better gauge its feasibility.

The value of iteration

Having followed the “double diamond” design process, I saw how much progress I could make with continuous iteration and falling back on step-by-step processes, instead of trying to perfect everything on the first go.

Vare

A harm reduction app that allows users to reduce the risks and harmful effects of the recreational drugs they use.

Role