Title: Clinicians as mediators in participatory design research: a communication design study in paediatric healthcare

Authors: Belinda Paulovich

Addresses: Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Design, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, Australia

Abstract: Participatory design is a democratic process that involves direct collaboration with end-users to achieve design outcomes. In healthcare, patients are often considered the most valuable group to recruit into participatory design activities. However, when designing in unpredictable health settings with end-users who may be marginalised, direct designer-patient interaction is not always advisable, and as a result, designers may perceive that they are neglecting the fundamental democratic principles of participatory design. This article presents a communication design study that was conducted in an Australian children's hospital where clinicians were used as designer-patient mediators. I argue that the use of mediators can open up participation to a much wider range of end-users, including those that a designer cannot access, aligning with participatory design's democratic philosophy.

Keywords: co-design; communication design; design processes; end-users; health information; healthcare; paediatrics; participatory design; prototyping; user-centred design.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2019.102231

Journal of Design Research, 2019 Vol.17 No.1, pp.47 - 63

Received: 21 Sep 2018
Accepted: 10 Apr 2019
Published online: 11 Sep 2019 *

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