How we work
There are four important aspects to the work we do:
- A user-centred focus: our research looks at services through the eyes of the user, to get a detailed understanding of their experiences. This is the first step in identifying possibilities for improvement and innovation.
- Innovative thinking: research, patients’ stories and understanding the context in which care is provided helps to build up a picture of the range of needs. We work alongside service providers and users to build up this picture, which itself will often suggest new ways of looking at the way services are provided. Together we look for opportunities for positive change across the ‘big picture’. We don’t focus on narrowly defined ‘problems’.
- Material realisation: we design with stakeholders and as our understanding of the current situation develops, we use ‘participatory analysis’ to create and share descriptions. These can include dialogue and discussion, pencil sketches, role play and a wide range of other techniques. We can also create prototypes to bring the ideas that have been developed to life, and then refine these prototypes to work towards an agreed solution.
- Interdisciplinary dialogue: we bring together patients and healthcare professionals with people who can bring fresh perspectives from other fields. These include psychologists, social researchers, technologists, engineers, interaction designers, product designers and graphic designers.
We believe design is a skill, but everyone can contribute. Design can be done by groups as well as individuals. And design that includes the end user will usually achieve better results. That’s why we want patients at the centre of the process.
