User-Centered Design of Hyperlocal Communication Platforms: Insights from the Design and Evaluation of KUBO
Eljohn Evangelista, Alyssa Cea, Axel Balitaan, Clark Vince Diala, Jamlech Iram Gojo Cruz
TLDR
KUBO, a user-centered hyperlocal communication platform, significantly improves real-time information access and civic engagement in the Philippines.
Key contributions
- Identified 4 key barriers to hyperlocal communication: delayed alerts, noise, language gaps, digital divides.
- Designed KUBO, a dual-channel platform for verified advisories and resident reports.
- KUBO significantly reduced task completion times and improved information recall.
- Users reported higher satisfaction with KUBO over Facebook for ease of use and effectiveness.
Why it matters
This paper highlights critical issues in hyperlocal communication, especially in developing regions. KUBO offers a proven, user-centered solution to enhance real-time information access and civic engagement, outperforming existing platforms. Its dual-channel design provides a valuable model for future community platforms.
Original Abstract
Effective hyperlocal communication is critical in the Philippines, where delayed or algorithm-filtered updates can leave residents uninformed about emergency advisories and community events. We conducted a user-centered study consisting of contextual inquiry and semi-structured interviews to identify four key barriers: delayed alerts, algorithm-driven noise, language gaps, and digital divides. Guided by these insights, we designed KUBO (Kumunidad at Balitang Opisyal), a prototype that integrates a home module for verified local government unit advisories and curated headlines, and a community module for resident-powered neighborhood reports and discussions. Using a within-subjects evaluation design, KUBO significantly reduced task completion times (p-value < 0.001), improved information recall on post-task quizzes (p-value = 0.010), and yielded higher user satisfaction ratings for ease of use, overall satisfaction, and perceived effectiveness compared to Facebook, the commonly used communication platform in the Philippines. These results demonstrate that a dual-channel, inclusive platform can substantially enhance real-time information access, comprehension, and civic engagement in hyperlocal settings.
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