Dan Gruen's blog on applying design to life

Concerns have been raised over the practical implications of recent CDC guidance relaxing recommendations for mask wearing among vaccinated people.  Some of this stems from issues of trust: will the majority of unvaccinated people responsibly wear masks when close to others in public and indoors?  This is of particular concern for people who are immunocompromised, or who can't be vaccinated yet, including younger children.  Even if they wear masks themselves, the presence of unvaccinated, unmasked people in shared settings such as supermarkets would put them at greater risk than before. I too fear that some people who refuse to get vaccinated will also be likely to not wear masks, whether from a lack of belief in the severity of COVID-19 , a general resistance to authority, political feelings or whatever.   I would suggest incorporating a community health aspect into the official guidance: On an individual level, if you are vaccinated and with other people ...

Much has been written in the press about challenges people are facing signing up to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The cost of the current system to seniors and their families in terms of anxiety, frustration, and hours of wasted time is significant and unconscionable.  Thinking about the problem from a user-centered design perspective makes the root of the problem and potential solutions clear. Having to first pick a site and then search for slots within it is backwards.  Every senior I know wants a shot, as soon as possible. They don't care where, as long as the location is accessible to them and at a time they can get there. A central online site should be created where eligible people could indicate their desire for a shot, specify their availability (days and times) and acceptable locations (either in general, e.g. a 10-mile radius, or by checking off specific sites they could get to) and possibly how much advance notice they would need. The system would notify them (and op...