• Design Council, Type Two Diabetes
• Participle, Social Health – Future Services Research
• Design Council, Activmobs
• Context Based Research Group, Essential Tremor
• Context Based Research Group, Hand Washing Behaviour

29 people per week in Bolton are diagnosed with diabetes. Working as the Research Manager in a multi-disciplinary project team (consisting of designers, design strategists, policy advisors, sector experts and an economist), the research immersed the project team into the everyday life experience of participants and their families living with Type II diabetes and stakeholders, including healthcare professionals. The research identified key issues in the current patient / healthcare interaction such as the importance of family support. This enabled us to identify opportunity areas. The ethnographic research sparked new ways of looking at the issues and the Agenda Cards and the Me2 coach service were developed and then prototyped. You can read more about the project here (The Diabetes Agenda) and here (Caroline’s Diabetes Story).

Core role:
Planning
Recruitment working with healthcare providers and key gate-keepers;
Identifying key research tools and preparing research materials.

Research
Carrying out research using a range of different tools,including observation, mapping current interactions, home tours, interviews and photo documentaries.

Analysis and synthesis
Download and feedback workshops;
Profile development;
Patient care maps.

Ideation
Scoping and framing service opportunities;
Working with participants to co-create concepts.

Prototyping
Working with patients and families to enhance concepts before the pilot stage.