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HIE case study
Hear from Linda Shore about setting up her business and the support she received
Linda Shore, a design researcher and research fellow at the Glasgow School of Art’s Highlands and Islands campus, is pioneering a new approach to menopause support through technology.
Her company, Ethnologic, is developing Menopause Experience Guide - MEG, an AI-powered digital holistic health tool designed to offer real-time support for women navigating the physical, emotional, mental, and nutritional challenges of menopause.
Linda’s research, which began in 2022, identified significant gaps in accessible, non-clinical menopause support. Women often felt unheard by healthcare professionals, workplaces struggled to accommodate menopausal employees, and primary care providers faced overwhelming demand for menopause-related consultations. Seeing an opportunity to bridge these gaps, Linda created MEG to provide women with answers and guidance in a familiar and user-friendly way.
Take on the adventure. If you are curious, resilient, creative, and care - people and futures need innovation.Linda Shore, Ethnologic
MEG is more than an information resource; it is built on the foundation of co-design and extensive research, ensuring that real user experiences shape its development. Unlike traditional menopause support, which often leans heavily on medicalisation, MEG takes a holistic approach, addressing physical, emotional, and lifestyle factors. Powered by AI, the tool offers tailored insights, helping women understand and manage their symptoms effectively.
Additionally, Ethnologic is integrating an emerging technology acceptance evaluation tool to assess users’ interaction with MEG. This evaluation will refine the platform and optimise user adoption, ensuring that MEG meets the needs of its audience seamlessly.
As a spinout/startup from the Glasgow School of Art, Ethnologic has gained vital support from a range of sources, including Techscaler’s Kickstart programme. The programme has provided access to expertise, software, and hardware, enabling the testing and refinement of MEG.
Linda has also brought on board a Chief Technology Officer, Paul Chapman, to collaborate on MEG’s technical development. The combination of her User Experience (UX) research expertise and Paul’s technical knowledge is ensuring that MEG evolves into a robust and scalable digital health solution.
Ethnologic is currently at the kickstart stage, with a working prototype and planned scalable features. The first pilot study of MEG is set to launch soon with a small user group, followed by a larger study later in the year.
The insights gathered from these studies will help refine MEG’s functionality and improve its adoption. Linda and her team are also preparing funding applications to further develop MEG’s features and move toward market validation.
For Linda, technology acceptance and adoption are at the core of MEG’s success. She envisions MEG as a tool that not only empowers women to navigate menopause with confidence but also supports primary care services by offering digital holistic health interventions.
Linda’s work is driven by a passion for emerging technologies and their potential to enhance quality of life. With experience in UX design and research, particularly in wearable and emerging technologies, she is fascinated by the potential of digital health tools to drive meaningful change.
Linda’s journey with Ethnologic highlights the importance of curiosity, resilience, and creativity in innovation. Her advice to those considering developing their own enterprise or tech idea is simple:
“Take on the adventure. If you are curious, resilient, creative, and care - people and futures need innovation.”
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