Health + Wellness | The Shop Docs

Black men experience significant disparities in cardiovascular health, including conditions that can be preventable or diagnosed earlier through greater access to health education and preventive care. The Shop Docs was created to address this gap by partnering with local barbershops to bring healthcare information and educational resources directly into spaces where Black men gather. In late 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volunteer organization was operating in two Florida locations and seeking to expand its impact while maintaining engagement and retention.

As a Design Strategist on a five-person multidisciplinary team, I supported the development of a creative marketing strategy designed to address the needs of three key stakeholder groups: patients, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations (CBOs).

Exploring the Opportunity

We used strategic and design research methods to better understand the organization's growth challenges and identify opportunities for expansion. Our work included:

• SWOT analysis to assess organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

• Market segmentation to understand the needs and dynamics of patients and volunteer healthcare providers

• Perceptual mapping to identify gaps and opportunities within the existing market

From Insights to Strategy

Our SWOT analysis revealed that partnerships with medical schools could help expand the organization's volunteer network, including access to physicians, while addressing personnel limitations that were constraining growth. We also identified opportunities to strengthen the organization's basic infrastructure, including its website and marketing materials, to better communicate its mission and support brand awareness.

Our segmentation analysis revealed a two-sided market consisting of patients and volunteer providers, while perceptual mapping helped identify gaps in the existing market and opportunities for differentiation.

From Strategy to Concept

We translated these insights into prototypes centered around the 4 Ps of marketing: Price, Product, Place, and Promotion, creating a strategic framework for The Shop Docs to consider as it explored opportunities for growth and engagement.

Outcome & Impact

Using a human-centered approach, our team presented a comprehensive brand and marketing strategy to The Shop Docs executive team, outlining opportunities to expand its services into additional states while strengthening its reach and community impact. The project demonstrated how design research and strategic thinking can help community-based organizations identify opportunities for sustainable growth while staying grounded in the needs of the communities they serve.

Learn more about The Shop Docs and its work in communities across the country here.