DESIGN STUDENTS’ TAKE ON CO-DESIGN IN HEALTH: REFLECTIONS FROM LEARNING AND EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

AbstractUsing three projects as a showcase, the aim of this article is to report on design students’ take on co-design in health, in terms of both outcomes and processes. It builds on project work conducted in a master’s course called ‘Design for Society’, reserved for 4th-year industrial design students in the Department of Design at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The students were encouraged to explore how healthcare services could facilitate active, informed and involved patients. The overall theme was provided by a cluster funded by the Norwegian Research Council addressing co-creative service design and innovation in health. Based on initial research, the students, organised in groups, identified a chronic illness that has a lifelong impact on everyday life, such as cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease. We give an account of three selected projects by showcasing developed concepts, central methods and tools, and we share key reflections from the students and the course educators on their experiences of working with co-design in health in an academic environment.