Product & Platform Development
Overview
Under this theme, Development Dynamics partners with clients to design and build digital platforms, tools, and innovative products that strengthen development practice. We recognise that a well‑placed technology or process innovation can unlock impact, so we combine user‑centred design for usability with systems thinking for interoperability and long‑term sustainability.
Highlights 2020 to 2024
Digital Health Coalition of Kenya (DHCK)
In 2023 DD supported the Digital Health Coalition, a network of health stakeholders, to create a collaborative online platform that aggregates and shares Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights information. The goal was to reduce fragmentation by providing a single access point for health providers and young people to find tools, data, and support. DD led user research and prototyping, incorporating feedback from youth and health workers. We mapped user journeys for different stakeholders, for example a rural clinic nurse and an urban youth activist, and prioritised features such as geolocation of services, resource libraries, and discussion forums. Launched as an interactive website in 2024, the platform now enables smoother knowledge exchange and coordination among SRHR actors in Kenya. This work illustrates how DD bridges technical development and programmatic needs to deliver tools that are both user friendly and aligned with national health objectives.
Innovation Challenge: Hacking the Hyphen
In 2021 DD ran Hacking the Hyphen, an innovation challenge that crowdsourced ideas at the intersection of sectors, for example health and education or gender and technology. We built the online submission portal and managed the selection process, engaging over 100 innovators across Africa. The platform was mobile friendly, multilingual, and transparent, featuring a public idea showcase and peer voting. Winning teams received seed funding and incubation. The initiative produced new project concepts and served as a test bed for open innovation competitions, a service we now offer to clients seeking grassroots solutions.
Data Dashboards and Knowledge Hubs
We convert raw data into interactive dashboards and knowledge management platforms that support faster, evidence‑based decision making. Examples include a dashboard for an Africa CDC affiliate to track public health emergency response indicators across countries, and an upgraded Communities of Practice portal for Amref that added discussion threads, resource tagging, and webinar integration to boost professional engagement. These products demonstrate DD’s Tech4Dev capability, ensuring digital solutions are driven by user needs and embedded in partners’ workflows for sustained use.
