









































September 2023 Volume 8 Issue 1

Brittany E. Sigler, DrPH; Keshia M. Pollack Porter, MPH, PhD;
Lindsay Thompson, PhD, MA; Cyrus Y. Engineer, DrPH, MHS, MHA;

Sara Singer, MBA, PhD; Darrell Gaskin, MS, PhD

A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF HOW PRODUCTS MIGHT BE 
DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HEALTH

Abstract
Background: Consumer technology products are changing lifestyle behaviors like how 
we eat, how we sleep, and how we get around, but existing research has not examined 
whether they are being designed to promote healthy choices. This study assesses the 
health impact of two products, Snapchat and Uber, through the lens of their companies’ 
environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals in the context of the COVID-19 
pandemic. 

Methods: We use an exploratory multiple case design to present how health might be 
considered as a growth strategy for consumer technology products. Using publicly 
available material, we analyze the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the 
products’ design, policy, and implementation to promote health.

Results: This distinct approach to health impact assessment successfully revealed 
existing organizational beliefs and practices with health impact. Snapchat’s social 
media platform fosters social interaction but lacks responsible design features, while 
Uber’s mobility platform has safety and privacy measures but lacks focus on physical 
activities as forms of mobility. 

Conclusions: By using these products, positive health impact is possible: whether 
through social connection and information access (Snapchat), or increased mobility 
and physical activity (Uber). This case study highlights the untapped potential of 
intentionally designing products to influence health behaviors and promote health, 
especially through new uses of existing features. Leveraging external partnerships and 
subject matter experts will be crucial for success, but companies that choose to do so 
and embrace a health-positive mindset will lay a foundation for a replicable business 
strategy for those too reticent to lead in this nascent field. 



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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Introduction
Consumer technology use greatly 
impacts various lifestyle behaviors 
in the U.S., including eating habits, 
entertainment choices, transportation 
options, and social interactions. These 
behaviors are closely linked to chronic 
diseases, such as cardiometabolic and 
mental health conditions, which have 
been increasing (CDC, 2022). Existing 
research has not fully examined whether 
consumer products in these categories 
align with companies’ publicly stated 
environment, social, and governance 
(ESG) goals – especially those tied to 
health. Presumably companies with 
reported health-focused goals in their 
public ESG strategy should have health-
promoting features, but no model of 
product development or design has 
emerged to guide health-positive 
business choices (that is, intentional 
choices to promote positive health 
impact (Koh, Singer & Edmondson, 
2019)) across diverse sectors. 

This case study investigates the 
integration of health-positive product 
features within the context of major 
disruption. The extraordinary, immediate, 
cross-sector response to COVID-19 
provides a unique opportunity to observe 
product development efforts, during 
a period which potentially created an 
enabling environment for innovation 
(Sturmberg, Tsasis & Hoemeke, 2020). 
This study aims to characterize what 
was a rapid effort to operationalize 
health-positive features for consumers 
to determine whether any might have 
value more broadly, as a replicable 
and sustainable approach to achieving 
positive health impact through products. 

Study context
The COVID-19 global pandemic disrupted 

the typical drivers of organizational 
strategic decision-making: regulatory 
pressure, investor demand, consumer 
patterns. Existing product roadmaps and 
painstakingly crafted annual strategic 
plans became moot. As the gravity 
of COVID-19 became clear in March 
2020, the response was urgent and far-
reaching. Companies had little choice but 
to respond. For many, the pandemic was 
the first time that health was seen not 
only as a material consideration, but also 
a driver of value-enhancing competitive 
advantage (HHS, 2021; Battilana et 
al., 2019). Examining the response to 
COVID-19 can yield important lessons for 
future major public health problems that 
upend the status quo, as COVID-19 did.

The objective of this case study is to 
understand how consumer technology 
products can become more “health-
positive”, by which we mean supportive 
of health-inducing behavior. This 
research will explore two distinct ways 
tech companies can promote health 
through their products: 1) how products 
might be designed (or modified) to 
promote healthier behavior, and 2) how 
these products in their original state 
can be applied in service of health. This 
approach for determining strategic 
directions for growth resembles the 
Ansoff matrix, which considers how 
combinations of either new or existing 
products and/or markets can drive 
expansion (see Figure 1) (Campbell, 
Stonehouse & Houston, 2002). In this 
research, we put a particular emphasis 
on market penetration (creating deeper 
value with existing products in existing 
markets) and market development 
(that is, creating new uses for existing 
products).  



Sigler; Pollack Porter; Thompson; Engineer; Singer; Gaskin

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Figure 1. The Ansoff Matrix

This research aims to surface examples 
of processes and/or features that should 
either be emulated or improved to 
achieve health-positive product design, 
by considering these strategies. Through 
the lens of the COVID-19 response, this 
case study asks:

1. How did two companies extend their 
existing stated beliefs and organizational 
practice to implement health-positive 
product development?

2. How did two companies adapt existing 
products to be health-positive? 

Extrapolating a process through which 
companies can implement health-positive 
thinking would ideally encourage wider 
adoption.

Methods 
Study design
We used an exploratory multiple-case 
design with purposeful sampling to 
gather and analyze relevant products and 
documents. The protocol for this case 
study follows the methodology outlined 
by Yin (2009) and Creswell & Creswell 
(2017). We identified the two cases using 
a frame derived from preceding research 
that examined external-facing views on 
health impact described in a corporate 
proxy statement, which is a document 
provided by publicly traded companies 
to its shareholders, outlining important 

information regarding corporate 
governance, executive compensation, 
and proposals to be voted on at the 
annual shareholder meeting. The cases 
were obtained from a list of public 
technology companies with products 
influencing lifestyle behaviors that are 
determinants of chronic disease (e.g., 
physical activity, eating, sleep, social 
interaction, time spent outside) (Rowen, 
2021; Sigler, 2022). We only considered 
products available during data collection 
in October 2022. 

Two products from different sectors 
were selected to affirm replication and 
allow for cross-case synthesis: Snapchat 
(social media), and Uber (rideshare) (see 
Table 1). We selected these products 
as they represent different behaviors 
(social connection and mobility) and 
the products are widely used, avoiding a 
niche analysis. Building on established 
concepts of social proof, network 
effects, and diffusion of innovation, 
we hypothesize that the more users a 
product has, the greater opportunity 
for influence (Roethke, Klumpe, Adam 
& Benlian, 2020; Katona, Zubcsek & 
Sarvary, 2011; Min, So & Jeong, 2021). 
This hypothesis supports our decision to 
examine more commonly used products 
and increases the relatability of the 
findings. While Facebook may be a more 
obvious choice for the social media 
sector, we were more interested in how 
companies demonstrate value to both 
shareholders and consumers – and this 
value is being questioned for Facebook 
(Slotnik, 2021). A case analysis can say 
more about standard operations in an 
environment where the company does 
not have a poor reputation and is instead 
more neutral, leading to the decision to 
analyze Snapchat (Islam et al., 2021; 
Singh & Misra, 2021; Schaarschmidt & 
Walsh, 2020). 



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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Data collection
We used multiple forms of public 
documentation and direct-observation 
as data sources to increase construct 
validity (i.e., the appropriate 
conceptualization of the cases under 
analysis, and the operationalization 
of the concept of health-positivity). 
To understand external and internal 
motivators, we reviewed findings from a 
literature review, stakeholder interviews, 
and content analysis of proxy statements 
from earlier research (Sigler, 2022). 
Where relevant data were not available 
in proxy statements, we reviewed annual 
reports (10-Ks) and separate ESG 
reports. All reports were for the 2021 
reporting year. We also employed direct 
observation via direct testing and use of 
the products. Where available, product 
analysis was supplemented by Building H 
profiles, which assess the health impact 
of products on consumers in six steps: 
product selection, product research, 
influence analysis, company input, crowd 
rating, and H-Score calculation (a scale 
based on reviewer scores to determine 
the overall health influence of a product). 
Different types of products are assessed 
using different core measures, as 
appropriate. For more details on the 
Building H Index methodology, see 
Building H, 2022 and Singer & Downs 
(2023). While only possible for Uber, we 

employed comparable logic to evaluate 
Snapchat. We also cataloged product 
policies, including privacy policies, 
community guidelines, and terms of use, 
to define business and user context. 
All product data (policies and feature 
analysis) were collected in October 2022.

Data analysis
The logic model presented in Figure 
2 guided analysis of collected data 
sources. During preceding research, we 
identified motivators through stakeholder 
interviews and content analysis of public 
corporate proxy statements. We also 
used proxy statements and 10-Ks to 
identify business priorities, the defined 
purpose of relevant products, and ESG 
goals. By surfacing these product goals, 
we identified relevant health behaviors 
to investigate in the associated product 
(e.g., a goal of building community 
can be tied to social interaction). We 
used product policies to identify those 
that may influence user health, either 
positively or negatively. All sources 
of documentation provided detailed 
background and context to inform the 
product analysis. 

The first stage of analysis yielded a 
foundational overview of each product, 
describing context for the company, their 
stated business priorities, reported ESG 

Figure 2. Logic Model for Case Analysis



Sigler; Pollack Porter; Thompson; Engineer; Singer; Gaskin

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goals, along with their product’s purpose 
and primary features. 

We next built on this foundation and 
analyzed each product for strengths, 
weaknesses, and opportunities. This 
analysis was based on reports for 2021, 
and the products as experienced in 
October 2022. We analyzed consumer 
product policies (privacy policies, 
community guidelines, and terms of use), 
their design, and their implementation: 
design was considered in terms of 
functionality built, while implementation 
centers on how this core capability has 
been used. Assuming the role of a user, 
we analyzed the selected products, which 
we refer to as our two cases, and their 
features to discern the presence of, or 
opportunity for, health-positive features, 
and user behaviors susceptible to 
influence accordingly. 

We triangulated these analyses 
within and across cases to develop 
feasible recommendations for health-
positive product development that 
can be aligned with business goals 
according to strengths, weaknesses, and 
opportunities. We focused the analysis 
on narrowing the set of identifiable 
opportunities to product changes that 
maintain alignment with business 
operations, as it is understood that 
these would have the highest likelihood 
of adoption. It is intended that these 

recommendations be applicable across 
consumer technology products, not 
solely those analyzed in this case study.

Results
Product Overview
These results are first presented by 
identifying the business priorities for 
each case using publicly available 
corporate reporting before diving into 
their policies, and finally assessing the 
products themselves. We then use this 
knowledge to present their in-product 
COVID-19 response.

Snap and Uber represent distinct sectors 
– social media and ridesharing – yet 
analysis of primary materials from both 
companies yielded findings in support 
of health-positive product development 
(note: Snap is the name of the company; 
Snapchat is the name of the product). 
Product and company overviews are 
found in Table 1 (Snap) and Table 2 
(Uber). Both companies reported ESG 
goals with health implications, which 
directly tie to their product purpose. 
Snap aims to strengthen community, 
empower self-expression, and build 
connection by having fun together. These 
goals are directly tied to the positive 
mental health of users, particularly 
through avoiding loneliness and building 
positive social interaction (Jeste, Lee & 
Cacioppo, 2020). 



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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Company context

A camera company that focuses on helping people communicate visually 
through ephemeral short videos and images called Snaps.

319M daily active users: 51.8% female, 20.5% 13-17, 39.1% 18-24, 22.6% 
25-34, 13.4% 35-49, 3.6% 50+.

Competitors: Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (Google, 
YouTube), Twitter, Apple, Pinterest, Bytedance (TikTok), Tencent.

Pertinent regulation: extra focus on data and consumer protection, privacy, 
and content regulation as more restrictive outside U.S.

Business priorities

Revenue is generated primarily through advertising. Ad tools are created 
based on features most successful in consumer product. Product 
innovation is intended to increase user engagement, which is then 
monetized through advertising.

Research and development focus on product development, advertising 
technology, and large-scale infrastructure. 

Reported ESG 
Goals

Society: 
• Strengthen community (partnerships, giving and volunteering),
• Responsible design and product use (inclusion, safety, privacy,)

 º Content safety and governance, promotion of beneficial content, 
protection. and rights of minors,

• Leverage platform for social impact (mental health, civic engagement).

Planet:
• Reduce carbon footprint of product and operations,
• Conserve natural resources, reduce waste,
• Building responsible supply chain (worker well-being + materials). 

People:
• Strengthen culture through DEI,
• Encourage wellness and healthy, safe environment,
• Support commitment to integrity.

Governance:
• Maintain structure for value + transparency,
• Do business responsibly and ethically,
• Integrate robust risk framework.

Product purpose
Empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about 
the world, and have fun together.

Table 1. Product Overview (Snap)



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Table 1. Product Overview (Snap) (continued)

Primary features

-Camera: App homepage, includes company- and community-created 
creative and contextually relevant tools (including augmented reality) to 
personalize Snaps. Snaps can be saved to, and searched in, Memories; and 
can be taken with Spectacles, a wearable glasses device.
-Communication: Ephemeral messages through text, Snaps, voice, and 
video calls; stickers and Bitmojis; opportunity to play Games and Minis 
together. 
-Snap Map: live map of nearby friends, stories, heatmap of recent Snaps 
on “Our Story”, and local businesses (including Places, rich profiles of 
businesses that overlay experiences which enable direct action on top of 
Snap Map, e.g. ordering takeout).
-Stories: Snap content from publishers, creators, and community, with 
Discover based on user subscriptions and interests (including news 
and entertainment). Includes Public Profiles for permanent creator and 
advertiser content.
-Spotlight: Share user-generated and Trending content with entire 
Snapchat community, display based on user preferences and favorites.

Source: Data extracted from corporate 10-K and proxy statement available on SEC.gov for 2021, and 
ESG report from investor relation section of company website.

Uber focuses on mobility, with an interest in safety and wellbeing for both drivers and 
riders (though there is broadly greater attention to the environmental impact of the 
business than these social impact topics across sources reviewed). While physical 
safety and wellbeing are respectable health goals, there is a significant opportunity to 
address the relationship between how people move from point A to point B and physical 
activity.



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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Company context

Uber is a technology platform that powers movement from point A to point 
B by connecting consumers with independent providers of ride services, 
merchants, and couriers.

19M trips/day: 52% male, 37% 16-24, 28% 25-34, 17% 35-44, 12% 45-54, 
6% 55-64.

Competitors: taxi companies, public transit, Lyft, Ola, Didi, Grab, Bolt, 
Yandex. Taxi.

Pertinent regulation: different and sometimes conflicting laws based 
on jurisdiction, including (but not only) privacy, cybersecurity, 
data protection, consumer protection, labor and employment, and 
transportation services.

Business priorities

Revenue is generated directly through product use of ridesharing services, 
meal and grocery delivery, financial partnership offerings, and freight 
carriers.

Continued research and development focus on the platform’s synergies: a 
massive network, leading technology (including marketplace, routing, and 
payments), operational excellence, and product expertise.

Reported ESG Goals

Environmental:
• Climate change: focus on zero-emission vehicles, micromobility, and 

public transit,
• Energy efficiency + renewable energy,
• Local air quality, water consumptions, waste reduction/recycling.

Social:
• COVID-19 response,
• DEI and culture,
• Driver and courier well-being,
• Local impact and urban use,
• User privacy and safety.

Governance:
• Data privacy and security,
• Human rights in the supply chain,
• Political activities,
• Ethics and compliance,
• Board composition, executive compensation.

Product Purpose

While Uber has mobility, delivery, and freight segments, this case focuses 
on mobility (“Ride”). The purpose of the mobility product is to move 
consumers from where they are to where they need to be, efficiently, 
safely, and on-demand.

Table 2. Product Overview (Uber)



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Table 2. Product Overview (Uber) (continued)

Primary Features

-Rideshare: Call a car for door-to-door service via mobile app.
-Bikeshare: Use the app to book a bike at nearest available bikeshare 
station.
-Scooters: Use the app to reserve a scooter per above.
-Car rentals: Ability to rent cars through select agencies. 
-Uber One: subscription service provides discounted rides and priority 
access to top-rated drivers.

Source: Data extracted from corporate 10-K and proxy statement available on SEC.gov for 2021, and 
ESG report from investor relation section of company website. y website.

Both cases demonstrated a multitude 
of strengths, along with weaknesses 
and opportunities to take advantage of 
existing organizational practices to evolve 
in a more health-positive direction (see 
Table 3 and 4). 

Snapchat
At its core, Snapchat is a product meant 
to facilitate social connection, which 
it makes easy to do immediately upon 
opening the app. There are multiple ways 
to connect with other users, through 
direct messaging or image/video-sharing, 
or posting more publicly on stories, 
indicating strong follow-through on the 
company’s stated purpose of building 
community. This is likewise supported by 
SnapMap, whereby upon giving consent, 
users can easily connect with friends 
offline by digitally following friends. 
Users also have the ability to control 
their self-expression, especially through 
their digital avatars (Bitmojis), which are 
available in an especially representative 
swath of skin tones and hairstyles. The 
heavy emphasis of these personalized 
avatars promotes equity by encouraging 
users to come as they are, without 
limiting how they can be represented. 

Snap has an implicit emphasis 
throughout its reporting on supporting 

the mental health of its users, and on 
creating a healthy product environment 
– though there is an opportunity to make 
the connection between banned activity 
and the health of users directly. There 
are ample policies (pointedly crafted in 
plain language, though not intuitively 
accessible in-app) governing use of the 
product, including a privacy policy, terms 
of use, and community guidelines with 
persistent mention of a desire to keep 
users safe, and empower them to take 
control over their experience. It appears 
contradictory, then, to observe the lack 
of content moderation in-app or ability to 
self-impose restrictions on the content 
a user chooses to see. Without the 
ability to control content visible through 
Discover (Snap’s newsfeed) or Spotlight 
(short-form video content), a user is 
likely to engage with sensationalist news 
stories, lewd imagery and videos, and 
minimal display of credible sources. This 
increases risk of misinformation and 
negative self-image and fails to create a 
healthy sense of community (Sheldon, 
Rauschnabel & Honeycutt, 2019). 
Spotlight’s endless stream of content 
amplifies this state by enabling constant 
engagement and addictive behavior (Sun 
& Zhang, 2021; Bányai et al., 2017). This 
reality does not align with Snap’s stated 
goal of responsible design and product 
use. 



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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This misalignment appears to be a 
function of a disconnect in how the 
organization is structured: the trust 
and safety team is responsible for 
development of content moderation tools 
and implementation, while the public 
policy and social impact team engages 
in external partnerships and advocacy 
efforts. That is, one team determines 
which content is noncompliant with 
product policy requiring removal, another 
develops impact-driven content, but none 
is asserting how the remaining content 
should be prioritized, presented, or 
experienced by users. This also leaves a 
gray zone of content which is not counter 
to policy, yet still negatively impacts 
users. The public policy and social 
impact team has spearheaded thoughtful 
partnerships with industry experts and 
non-governmental organizations to target 
Snapchat’s key user demographic (largely 
Gen Z and younger millennials, Snap’s 
primary users) with campaigns especially 
salient to them, e.g., drug use reduction, 
mental health education, and bullying 
awareness and prevention, along with the 
creation of a digital Safety Center. These 
partnerships produce excellent, credible 
content; however, they do not receive 
much prominence in-app, nor are credible 
sources identified, which offers room for 
improvement. Users must happen across 
the correct search terms, or know they 
exist, to surface mental health support 
and drug use awareness campaigns. 
While Snap’s own wellness resources 
claim that being safe on social media is 
not merely the absence of danger, but the 
presence of wellness, features seem to 
focus on reactive support and reporting 
rather than proactive prevention and 
moderation. 

There are multiple opportunities to 
build on existing design to extend the 

product’s positive health impact. The 
app already allows users to subscribe 
to creators and select lifestyle interests 
to personalize advertising content. This 
ability to control content should extend 
to content filters of what a user does 
not want to see, especially for younger 
users. As established by Social Cognitive 
Theory, increasing user agency can 
improve wellbeing by supporting their 
preferences (Bandura, 2001; Martin, 
2004) – in this case for the parts of 
the broader product community with 
which they seek to engage. Adding an 
option native to the app to control length 
of session would minimize addictive 
design features by limiting a continuous 
content stream (such timer features are 
available native to most mobile devices) 
(Sheldon, Rauschnabel & Honeycutt, 
2019). Opportunity to promote offline 
events and activity through SnapMap can 
also further foster social connection in-
person.

Current policy outlines how data are 
used, largely governing advertising and 
content offered. Snap can choose to use 
this data to promote health information 
pertinent to the user in partnership with 
local health departments. These data can 
also be combined with that of “friends” 
users interact with most to determine 
group-level interventions. Still, the 
policy should specify which behaviors or 
personal information do not, or will not, 
dictate ads. User behavior determines 
content displayed through Discover and 
Spotlight, creating either positive or 
negative reinforcement loops. More can 
be done to help this content skew toward 
a positive user impact. Verification and 
recommendation features can help 



Sigler; Pollack Porter; Thompson; Engineer; Singer; Gaskin

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Health behavior: social interaction and connection

Variable Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities

Design

• Encourages social 
interaction: strong-
follow-through on 
stated purpose to 
build community

• Emphasizes the 
use of digital 
avatars (“bitmoji”) 
to personalize 
the experience: 
customization 
promotes diversity 
and inclusion

• Ease of social 
connection offline 
through SnapMap

• Lack of ability to 
filter: concerning 
given sensational 
content in Discover 
and lewd content in 
Spotlight

• Misaligned with 
stated goal of 
responsible design 
and product use; 
negative influence on 
self-image

• Constant stream of 
Spotlight content 
risks addictive 
behavior

• Filters for what users do 
not want to see, and not 
just what they do see

• Ability to control session 
length

• Promotion of offline 
activities for further social 
connection

Policy

• Plain language 
explanation of access 

• Data used to protect 
user rights, safety 

• Focus on building 
a safe product 
community 

• Community 
guidelines have heavy 
focus on mental 
health of users

• Failure to 
acknowledge offline 
behaviors that results 
from online product 
use 

• Bulk of policies 
related to health and 
safety in Community 
Guidelines, not easily 
accessible within the 
user experience (UX) 
design 

• No explicit mention 
of impact of banned 
content, or misuse 
broadly, on mental 
health 

• Information collected can 
be used to personalize 
health-related content 
through partnerships, 
instead of just ads 

• Adjust algorithm to avoid 
negative reinforcement 
loops to help skew toward 
positive user impact

Table 3. Product Health Assessment (Snap)



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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Health behavior: social interaction and connection

Variable Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities

Implementation

• Safety by design, 
collaboration with 
outside experts 

• Development of “Here 
For You” content, 
partnership with 
Crisis Text Line 

• Development of 
“Heads Up Portal” 

• Snap Originals focus 
on mental content

• Lack of identification 
of credible sources in 
search 

• No explicit mention 
of safety by design 
principles used, no 
promotion in-app 
of safety feature 
or health-related 
content 

• Focus on absence of 
danger, not presence 
of wellness, counter 
to own guide

• Validation feature to 
discern credible content 

•  Recommendation feature 
to surface valuable content 
partnerships and wellbeing 
resources more easily.

• Partner with communities 
who can benefit from 
social connection

Evaluation

• Impact Reported 
impact in Citizen 
Snap report, covering 
quantity of content 
removed, percentage 
of content that 
violated guidelines, 
and use of support 
resources

• No mention of 
impact of COVID-19 
partnerships or 
campaigns, use of 
COVID-focused AR 
experiences and 
creative tools. 

• No discussion of 
reach of COVID-19 
content.

• No discussion of 
reach or impact of 
Here For You content.

• All campaigns launched 
with health goals should be 
explicitly evaluated

• Any health-related goal 
in impact reports should 
be tracked at minimum 
qualitatively. 

Table 3. Product Health Assessment (Snap) (continued)

amplify credible content, avoid mis- or 
disinformation, improving the responsible 
design elements the company claims to 
aspire to.

Uber
As a mobility product, Uber’s main 
priority is to move users to where they 
want to be. This suggests a seemingly 
obvious opportunity to allow users 
to choose to walk as part of their 
journey, but modalities are limited to 

car, bike, and scooter. While biking and 
scooting are more active transportation 
modes, these choices receive reduced 
prominence in-app. The only option which 
integrates walking is by choosing to 
meet one’s driver at a more convenient 
location for the driving route, centering 
driver preference. Given this functionality, 
it would not be a stretch to center this 
capability from the user-side, allowing the 
user to plan in walking time on either end 
of a ride. 



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Policy and design are strongly aligned 
in a focus on safety: there is clear 
emphasis on how both riders and 
drivers should be treated, and how 
they should treat each other, creating 
equitable expectations and community 
guidelines. This includes the use of 
mutual ratings, building an expectation 
for positive social interactions during 
rides in order to receive a positive score. 
Use of privacy-by-design practices and 
community guidelines which center on 
respect likewise promote a healthy user 
experience. In-app, the “Safety Toolkit” 
provides both riders and drivers with 
the ability to report incidents, record 
uncomfortable situations, contact 
emergency support, and share location, 
while RideCheck auto-detects rare 
events like long stops. Given users 
must scroll to view this toolkit feature, 

periodic reminders of its availability 
could maximize its utility. Similarly 
for the robust community guidelines, 
reminders of expected behavior could 
increase the likelihood of positive social 
interactions and safety. This repetition is 
already employed for seatbelt use. Core 
features like the map and ads have the 
opportunity to be optimized to promote 
healthy locations or items, and dynamic 
pricing could integrate health-related 
variables like opting to walk to shorten 
rides. 

Ultimately, as a robust logistics platform, 
Uber has the functionality to be used 
for additional purposes. Indeed, the 
company has initiated a fledgling 
healthcare business to help coordinate 
non-emergency medical transportation 
as its first product line. Additional 

Health behavior: mobility

Variable Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities

Design

• Ample safety 
features: verification, 
ratings, reporting, 
ability to share 
location; safety 
toolkit with ability to 
record audio, share 
trip, and 911 help 

• Ratings system 
creates dual 
accountability for 
health interpersonal 
behavior 

• Seat belt alerts

• No acknowledgment/ 
promotion of walking 
as form of mobility 

• Minimal promotion 
of micromobility 
(i.e., lightweight 
transport options like 
bikes and scooters) 
over other modes 
of transportation, 
despite emphasis in 
ESG report

• Embed walk options
• Increase prominence of 

bike and scooter

Table 4. Product Health Assessment (Uber)



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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Health behavior: mobility

Variable Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities

Policy

• Data used to enhance 
safety and security 

• Focus on “privacy-by-
design” 

• Community 
guidelines center on 
respect 

• Promote safety

• Lack of mention 
of how “privacy-
by-design” has 
translated to product 
development 

• Lack of recognition 
and accountability of 
connection between 
mobility and physical 
activity

• Robust community 
guidelines not central to 
in-app user experience 
(UX), opportunity to 
be more intrinsically 
embedded to optimize for 
positive experiences

Implementation

• Logistics expertise 
and mobility platform 
being used as 
foundation for Uber 
Health product line 

• Impaired driving 
prevention through 
“Decide to Ride” 
campaign 

• Ride donation and 
in-app donation as 
part of humanitarian 
response efforts

• Use map to promote 
healthy locations (grocery 
stores, parks) 

• Partner with nonprofits 
focused on communities 
suffering from social 
isolation due to limited 
transportation 

• Integrate health variables 
into dynamic pricing 
model (e.g. deter short 
rides by increasing price, 
promoting more active 
transit) 

• Use personalized ads 
feature for good

Evaluation

• Frequency of trips 
without safety 
incident evaluated in 
ESG report 

• Reporting of 
philanthropic 
initiatives, e.g., rides 
for pregnant people, 
job interview access, 
health appointment 
access, humanitarian 
relief

• No discussion of 
impact of COVID-19 
initiatives (e.g. reach 
of vaccine education, 
# of rides to vaccine 
sites).

• Same as Snap, bearing 
repeating:

• All campaigns launched 
with health goals should 
be explicitly evaluated 

• Any health-related goal 
in impact reports should 
be tracked, at minimum 
qualitatively.

Table 4. Product Health Assessment (Uber) (continued)



Sigler; Pollack Porter; Thompson; Engineer; Singer; Gaskin

15

positive impact can be achieved through 
emphasizing partnerships with nonprofits 
focused on communities suffering from 
social isolation due to otherwise limited 
access to transportation (some work in 
this regard has begun through the Uber 
Health product line). 

Evaluation
To discern whether any of these 
features or campaigns are successful, 
additional evaluation is needed for 
both products. All campaigns launched 
with health goals should be explicitly 
evaluated, indicating their influence on 
baseline metrics as a model for other 
companies. Companies need to share 
which efforts are successful to contribute 
to developing a standard. Any health-
related goal in impact reports should be 
tracked: if quantitative measurement is 
not possible, at minimum there should be 
a qualitative assessment.

COVID-19 response
Both products leveraged their core 
functionality in responding to COVID-19, 
as illustrated in Table 5. Snap developed 

creative tools and AR experiences which 
allowed users to share reputable health 
information with their connections. 
Snap also collaborated with partners to 
develop original content with credible 
resources. While content partnerships 
with a health focus appear to have been 
temporary, there are still efforts to create 
shareable health-related information 
through filters, gifs, and bitmojis. The 
Here For You channel which focused on 
the pandemic’s effects on youth mental 
health still exists, but without regular 
updates on general mental health (its 
original purpose). Uber donated rides 
and made it possible to receive free 
transportation to vaccination sites, 
consistent with ongoing health-related 
philanthropic ride donation efforts. This 
initiative has not been sustained for 
other user-facing initiatives, e.g., had 
the company chosen to implement a 
similar strategy for promoting flu shots. 
Additionally, while the company launched 
a new feature to prompt mask use before 
entering a vehicle, the ability to offer 
public health messaging has not been 
repurposed for other health topics. 



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

16

Case COVID Feature Continued Discontinued

Snap

Creative tools to share expert-
approved best practices to stay 
healthy (e.g., GIFs, bitmoji designs)

Still available, not 
promoted. Promotion 
of anti-bullying content 
(October 2022).

Published regular safety updates 
with public health officials and 
agencies, including WHO and CDC

No usage for other health 
updates, e.g., flu season.

Focus on sharing credible 
information in Discover from 
trusted sources: efforts to provide 
access to information about 
COVID-19 and how to stay safe:

• News providers (3 dozen 
partners) produced constant 
coverage of pandemic on-app

• Collaborated with syndicated 
partners to publish and share 
episodes around COVID 
vaccines targeting young users

Unclear if other 
partnerships currently exist 
with social impact focus 
through Discover feature.

Vaccine education initiative in-app 
in partnership with White House

Discontinued, partnership 
does not appear to have 
been sustained around 
other topics.

Expanded Here For You content 
focused on the pandemic’s effects 
on youth mental health and 
loneliness.

Discontinued, partnership 
does not appear to have 
been sustained around 
other topics.

Expanded Here For You content 
focused on the pandemic’s effects 
on youth mental health and 
loneliness.

Still exists, but appears 
to be updated on a 
limited basis, if at all.

Table 5. Maintenance of COVID-19 Product Response



Sigler; Pollack Porter; Thompson; Engineer; Singer; Gaskin

17

Table 5. Maintenance of COVID-19 Product Response (continued)

Case COVID Feature Continued Discontinued

Uber

Requirement of mask to ride, with 
in-app prompt at outset of each 
ride.

Ethos maintained 
through seat belt alert, 
but no clear indication 
that product decision 
related to mask feature.

Meal delivery to frontline 
responders (Uber Eats)

Discontinued.

Transported essential goods in 
times of crisis (Uber Freight)

Continued for other 
philanthropic or 
humanitarian efforts.

Donated 10M free rides to 
healthcare workers, seniors, 
and others to get vaccinated 
(partnership with organizations 
with ties to communities 
disproportionately impacted by 
pandemic)

Ride delivery for other 
philanthropic causes.

In-app feature to donate to Vaccine 
Access Fund which provided free 
rides to vaccination sites and other 
places to learn about the vaccine 
from trusted contacts

Will use remaining 
funds to address 
systemic barriers 
to access to health 
services beyond 
vaccines.

No other donation campaign 
related to health.

In-app experience integrating 
vaccines.gov, allowing users to find 
nearby available appointments 
(included free rides for both legs of 
trip to get first 2 vaccinations)

Feature not used for 
any other in-app health 
education campaign, e.g., 
flu shot.



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

18

Discussion
This study of two distinct products’ 
policy, design, and implementation 
choices revealed that existing 
organizational beliefs and practices 
have resulted in decisions with health 
impact. This suggests that health 
promoting decision-making can feasibly 
be integrated into organizations outside 
the healthcare sector. However, there 
is minimal intentionality for positive 
health impact in current product design, 
as existing design aligns predominantly 
with business priorities. While some 
companies may have health-related 
social impact goals in their ESG reports, 
there is no requirement for these goals to 
be accounted for in core products based 
on current regulations (Snap comes close 
to integrating the goal of strengthening 
community by inherently promoting 
social connection). While COVID-19 has 
triggered new applications of existing 
product capabilities, there has not been 
significant new feature development that 
has been initiated or sustained as a result 
of the pandemic. Though COVID-19 is now 
endemic, the lessons here are powerful 
for future pandemics and public health 
crises. 

Upon analyzing Snap and Uber for 
their strengths, weaknesses, and 
opportunities in terms of health impact, 
it would be idealistic to expect health-
centric product development without 
external accountability, creating an 
opportunity for regulation. Through 
this case study, relationships between 
product use and product outcomes 
became better understood. Snap is 
effectively contributing to outcomes 
of social connection and information 
access, while Uber is contributing to 
increased mobility. Still, each company 
could do more. Snap could contribute 

to improved health literacy, healthy 
relationships, and reduction in loneliness, 
depending on information campaigns 
implemented. Uber could positively 
influence the physical activity of users 
through featured modalities (i.e., greater 
emphasis on biking, scooting, and 
walking). 

Reporting is how distinct stakeholders 
communicate: how companies report is 
how investors evaluate. Mandating that 
corporate reporting include health impact 
would hold companies accountable to 
consider how their product development 
decisions affect the health of their users 
(Pérez, 2015; Kickbusch et al., 2018; 
Wilson, 2022; Ajayi & Mmutle, 2021). 
Such regulation might also introduce a 
common language for creating a healthy 
product environment. That is, how 
companies position themselves in their 
public-facing materials contributes to 
how they are perceived and assessed 
as much as the products themselves 
(Forman & Argenti, 2005; Van Riel & 
Fombrun, 2007). Indeed, all conclusions 
in this case analysis are limited to the 
perception of publicly available sources.

Existing products can still be adapted 
to become health-positive before 
policy catches up to technology. The 
opportunities presented in Table 3 
and 4 are examples of that, but each 
company would need to assess the 
business perspective. To do so, a 
company can first identify the user 
behaviors it could impact. At minimum, 
technology companies influence how 
users engage with others, and how they 
spend their time. Next, a company can 
identify its products’ levers of influence 
(e.g., content availability, marketplace 
prominence, pricing), then assess the 
risks and benefits to using those levers 



Sigler; Pollack Porter; Thompson; Engineer; Singer; Gaskin

19

to intentionally create positive health 
impact. Once that decision has been 
made, a clear plan must be outlined for 
measuring and enforcing health impact 
through product policy to avoid a moot 
effort. Self-imposing accountability 
mechanisms, similar to sustainability 
assessments, could be considered. After 
building functionality or implementing 
changes within existing designs, the 
company can evaluate the health impact 
achieved. Iteration would be assumed: 
digital products can and should always 
be continuously refined to improve 
outcomes, and health outcomes are no 
different should a company choose to 
prioritize them. 

Limitations
While exploring the health impact of 
products on their consumers is an 
exciting new field of research, this also 
creates limitations. There is minimal 
publicly available data to consult as 
a baseline, putting pressure on this 
research to contribute reliable evidence 

as a strong foundation on which others 
can build. While the findings here are 
consistent with those from separate 
studies with distinct methodologies from 
this same research team (Sigler, 2022), 
these conclusions are restricted in their 
generalizability given the limited samples 
used. 

Conclusions
This case study demonstrates the 
tremendous untapped potential in the 
tech sector to intentionally design 
products that sustainably influence 
health behaviors and promote health, 
particularly through new uses of 
existing features. As with other social 
impact initiatives, companies will need 
to leverage external partnerships and 
subject matter experts to actualize 
this opportunity. The learnings from 
this analysis provide a path forward 
for companie that boldly embrace 
intentionally designing products to 
influence health behaviors and promote 
health. 



A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

20

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A Case Study Analysis of how Products Might Be Designed to Promote Health

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CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Brittany E. Sigler, MPH, DrPH

Research completed while at:
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
615 N Wolfe St
Baltimore, MD 21205
bsigler3@jhu.edu

CHIA Staff:

Editor-in-Chief 
Cynthia Stone, DrPH, RN, Professor, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana 
University, Indianapolis

Journal Manager 
Angela Evertsen, BS, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis 

Chronicles of Health Impact Assessment Vol. 8 Issue 1 (2023) DOI: 10.18060/27348
© 2023 Author(s): Sigler, B.E.; Pollack Porter, K.; Thompson, L.; Engineer, C.; Singer, S.; Gaskin, D.        
       
        This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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