“We are all just humans participating”: the role of an embodied approach, virtual space and artistic media in shaping participants’ experience in a co–design process

Abstract

ABSTRACT Integrating multiple perspectives is key to successful co-design, yet often hampered by communication gaps arising from different epistemological backgrounds and lived experiences. This challenge is amplified when the design problem centres around experiences that are difficult articulate in words, such as those in Parkinson’s disease (PD). To explore alternative strategies for communication between diverse PD stakeholders, Piece of Mind brought together neuroscientists, performing artists and individuals with lived experience to co-create an interdisciplinary performance grounded in scientific and experiential knowledge. Participants met on Zoom over nine months, in which creative, embodied approaches were used to share scientific concepts, facilitate discussion, and identify key issues for the performance. We built on emergent themes through virtual and in-studio collaborations, culminating in a 45-min filmed and live performance. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants regarding their co-design experience and take-aways, to identify elements of process, space and materials contributing to its success. We found that an embodied approach, in virtual space and incorporating multiple artistic media, enabled participants to leave their comfort zones and disciplinary boundaries to engage with one another through curiosity and generosity – and consider how these conditions facilitated disparate starting points to converge towards a common goal.