Some facts on blood donation in the U.S.
The number of seconds before someone else in the U.S. needs a blood donation...
The number of pints needed by the Red Cross... daily.
The number of pints provided by donors daily.
So, why is this happening?
The current process Blood Banks
Donors
Hospitals
Recipients
The current process is impersonal. The donor rarely knows where his blood is going and the recipient rarely knows where the blood is coming from. While most people cite charitable reasons for donating blood, it is hard to qualify that statement when the results of the donor's actions are never seen due to a lack of interaction propagated by mediating institutions.
In other words, the problem lies in how the victim is addressed...
As a number
A recent study showed the people are more likely to donate more when presented with an identifiable victim (someone with a face, and likely an accompanying story) than with a statistical victim (or just a number).
$3.00 $2.75 $2.50
$2.38
$2.25 $2.00 $1.75 $1.50 $1.25
$1.14
$1.00 Statistical Victim
Identifiable Victim
Deborah A. Small et al. (2007) – “The Impact of Deliberative Thought on Donations of Statistical and Identifiable Victims”
The
system Blood Banks
Donors
Hospitals
Recipients
seeks to increase the number and frequency of blood donations by instituting a platform through which donors and recipients can interact both before and after the blood donating process has taken place. By allowing blood recipients to create profiles that tell their stories, gives a face to the otherwise invisible recipient, forming a strong bond between them and the donor and further increasing the sheer number of blood donations.
provides an online platform that is
• Personal
• Transparent
• Location based
*prototypical search page
Users can create a profile with their location, their blood type, and more importantly... Their story.
Hi! My name is Amy and I am a proud mom of two lovely daughters, Lisa, 14 (on the right!) and Hannah, just 3. I love cooking traditional Japanese food (which my mom taught me how to do when I was young), going for runs on evenings, and spending time with my family! Unfortunately, I will be undergoing cardiac surgery in 3 weeks and need your help! My family and I would be forever grateful!
*prototypical recipient profile page
Market Research and Outreach
“In our experience, people are definitely more likely to donate when they know who the blood is going to. A platform to share the stories of people who need blood would be very useful and successful...�
MetLife Donor Center, New York City
“It is important to focus on the recipients’ stories – it's even a huge part of our very own marketing plan. I think it’s very exciting that Bloodbuddy is working on this...”
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center
“If there was a way to make blood donations a more personal process, people would surely donate more. A platform where potential blood recipients could share their own stories would definitely be helpful...�
Red Cross, Federal Blood Services
“People would certainly be inclined to donate more if they knew the stories of people who need blood...�
Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Pennsylvania
CC 2015