Domestic Helpers — Pranav Srinivasan

Overview

The Project

Domestic helpers are an integral part of many households, yet the systems that support their hiring, onboarding, and daily work remain informal, fragmented, and often inequitable. CareLink is a service design project that examines this ecosystem and proposes a connected platform that brings structure, transparency, and trust to all stakeholders involved.

Early Research

Early Observations

Before diving into full research, we conducted a pilot study to understand how the system currently works. Some patterns became clear early on:

Helpers rely heavily on informal methods like going door-to-door or asking security guards for work

Wages vary significantly for similar work due to lack of standardization

Agencies exist, but many helpers are unaware of them or don't understand their role

Customers prioritize safety, but have limited ways to verify helpers

There is no structured system connecting helpers, agencies, and customers — everything runs on fragmented networks

This made it clear that the issue is not lack of demand, but lack of structure and awareness.

Methodology

Research Approach

To understand the system in depth, we used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods:

Contextual inquiry (observations + interviews)

Questionnaire survey

Competitor analysis

Journey mapping

Personas and empathy mapping

We studied all three stakeholders:

Domestic Helpers

Workers seeking stable employment, fair wages, and recognition within the system.

Agencies

Intermediaries that connect helpers to households, operating largely through manual, unstructured processes.

Service Receivers

Households and professionals seeking reliable, verified domestic help for their daily needs.

Survey

Survey Insights

The survey helped validate patterns observed during field research:

Service Receivers

Only about half are satisfied with their current help

Trust and safety are the biggest concerns

Strong need for verification and reliability

Agencies

Operate mostly through manual processes

Depend heavily on walk-ins

Struggle to maintain trust between helpers and customers

Helpers

Face long hours, low wages, and health issues

Seek stability, better pay, and social security

Low awareness limits access to better opportunities

Analysis

Key Insights

The system is not broken due to lack of demand, but due to lack of structure and awareness

Trust is critical for customers, yet there is no reliable verification mechanism

Helpers often accept unfair conditions due to financial pressure and lack of alternatives

Agencies act as intermediaries but lack standard processes and transparency

The ecosystem is fragmented, with no unified system connecting all stakeholders

Market Gap

Existing platforms solve parts of the problem but not the system as a whole:

Some focus on verification but are expensive

Some offer discovery but lack trust

Some are local but unstructured

There is a clear opportunity for a system that balances trust + structure + affordability.

Problem Statement

Domestic helpers in Pune miss out on stable and reliable job opportunities because they rely heavily on informal networks and lack awareness of structured agency systems. At the same time, both helpers and service receivers face issues of trust, safety, and lack of support in case of disputes.

Design Direction

How Might We

Our research revealed a clear opportunity for a system that balances trust, structure, and affordability. These questions guided our design direction:

Transparency

How might we create a more transparent and trustworthy hiring system?

Awareness & Access

How might we improve awareness and access for domestic helpers?

Conflict Support

How might we support both helpers and employers in case of conflicts?

Structure

How might we bring structure to an otherwise informal ecosystem?

Ideation

We explored multiple directions through a combination of structured and generative methods to surface patterns, themes, and potential interventions:

Affinity mapping

Brainstorming

Lotus blossom diagram

Key opportunity areas emerged:

Trust & Verification Wage Transparency Structured Onboarding Communication Clarity Dispute Resolution Job Stability

Concepts Explored

Smart hiring kiosks

WhatsApp community-based hiring model

Solution

Final Solution

Instead of just a regular app, we designed a connected system that brings all stakeholders together. Core elements include:

Verified helper profiles (KYC + background checks)

Structured onboarding for agencies

Intelligent matching based on skills, language, and preferences

Transparent payment tracking

Emergency support and dispute resolution

Training and awareness modules for helpers

Why CareLink?

Built on Trust

Verified profiles and background checks create a foundation of accountability for both helpers and employers.

Structured by Design

Clear onboarding, contracts, and records replace informal, verbal-only agreements that leave room for exploitation.

Empowering Helpers

Training modules, rights awareness, and emergency support give helpers visibility and agency within the system.

Accessible & Affordable

Designed to work for households across income levels, balancing premium features with essential access for all.

Scenario

Storyboard

To ground the concept in real life, we developed a storyboard tracing the journey of a helper and an employer from first contact through resolution of a conflict, using CareLink at every step.

Reflections

Social & Economic Complexity

This project helped me understand how deeply social and economic factors shape design problems. What initially seemed like a simple hiring issue turned out to be a complex system involving trust, awareness, and power dynamics.

Designing for All Stakeholders

Considering every stakeholder, not just end users, was critical. The helpers, employers, agencies, and regulators each had different needs that the system had to address simultaneously.

Next Steps

If given more time, I would focus on usability testing specifically for the helper-facing interface to ensure low digital literacy isn't a barrier to their empowerment.