Co-creation Sessions Research Articles

Exploring the use of AR technology for co-creative product and packaging design

Extended Reality technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), are being applied in a wide variety of industrial applications, but their use within design practice remains very limited, despite some promising research activities in this area over the last 20 years. At the same time, design practice has been evolving to place greater emphasis on the role of the client or end-user in the design process through ‘co-creative design’ activities. Whilst offering many benefits, co-creative design activities also present challenges, notably in the communication between designers and non-designers, which can hinder innovation.In this paper, we investigate the potential of a novel, projection-based AR system for the creation of design representations to support co-creative design sessions. The technology is tested through benchmarking experiments and in-situ trials conducted with two industrial partners. Performance metrics and qualitative feedback are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the new technology in supporting co-creative design sessions. Overall, AR technology allows quick, real-time modifications to the surfaces of a physical prototype to try out new ideas. Consequently, designers perceive the possibility to enhance the collaboration with the end-users participating in the session. Moreover, the quality and novelty of ideas generated whilst using projection-based AR outperform conventional sessions or handheld display AR sessions. Whilst the results of these early trials are not conclusive, the results suggest that projection-based AR design representations provide a promising approach to supporting co-creative design sessions.

Empowering Patients and Health Professionals to Address Sexual Health in the Context of Anorectal Malformations and Hirschsprung's Disease.

The aim of this study is to develop a tool that is aligned with patients’ and health professionals’ needs to address sexual health in the context of anorectal malformations and Hirschsprung’s disease. A multiphased participatory action–research was conducted. First, an inventory of needs was made through interviews (11 patients, 11 professionals), three online focus groups (4 patients, 20 professionals), and a questionnaire (38 patients). Subsequently, four cocreation sessions with in total four patients and nine professionals were organized to translate the needs into a tool (in the form of a website). The websites’ functionality was assessed via a questionnaire (n = 34). The website, directed to patients, their parents, and professionals, stimulates awareness, fills knowledge gaps, and shows possibilities for support. The website is expected to change restrictive attitudes toward sexual health and improve the legitimization of the topic needed for the allocation of resources and sexologists’ involvement in current care pathways.

Aircraft Interior Requirements for a Good Sleep

Sleeping in long haul flights is difficult. There is noise, an upright sitting position and neighbours and crew disturb the sleep. However, there is not much information available for designers on the most important factors next to the seat that could improve the sleep quality. In this paper a co-creation session and a survey among 109 participants has been performed to study factors influencing sleep in a long-haul flight. This study shows that not only the seat is important for a good sleep, but factors like privacy, hygiene and neighbours play a role as well. The more frequent travellers experience more comfort during sleep. So, probably a good preparation is important as well.

EXPLORING THE APPLICABILITY OF SEMANTIC METRICS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF DESIGN PROTOCOL DATA IN COLLABORATIVE DESIGN SESSIONS

AbstractThe paper presents the application of non-specialized lexical database and semantic metrics on transcripts of co-design protocols. Three different and previously analyzed design protocols of co-creative sessions in the field of packaging design, carried out with different supporting tools, are used as test-bench to highlight the potential of this approach. The results show that metrics about the Information Content and the Similarity maps with sufficient precision the differences between ICT- and non-ICT-supported sessions so that it is possible to envision future refinement of the approach.

The PKU & ME study: A qualitative exploration, through co-creative sessions, of attitudes and experience of the disease among adults with phenylketonuria in Italy

BackgroundPhenylketonuria (PKU) is a hereditary metabolic disease that can be diagnosed and successfully treated from birth with a lifelong phenylalanine-restricted dietary regimen. However, optimal adherence to diet remains an issue and often progressively decreases after adolescence. The study aimed to explore the experience of adults living with PKU in order to gain insights related to their adherence to diet and engagement in managing their condition. MethodsThe study adopted a qualitative methodology in sessions that combined specifically designed co-creation exercises with focus group discussion. Adults with early-treated classic PKU were enrolled for 2 different sessions - one for adherent and one for non-adherent patients. The verbatim notes of both sessions and focus group were analyzed using content analysis. ResultsTwelve adherent and nine non-adherent adults with PKU participated. Besides the behavioral dictates of following a strict diet, adherent adults reported a positive mental approach and organizational rigor; they seemed aware of the consequences of high-phenylalanine levels, reporting that it can affect mood and consequently social interactions which they value highly. In the non-adherent group, the individuals seemed to not fully accept their disease: they were aware of the consequences of non-adherence in children but not in adults, they felt the management of PKU was an individual burden and they experienced a feeling of ‘diversity’ in the social context (related to eating) that caused emotional distress. PKU seemed a very influential element of the identity both for adherent and non-adherent adults, but with different consequences for the two groups. Finally, all participants reported the desire to be assisted in a healthcare setting dedicated to adults. ConclusionsThe findings expand the understanding of the psychological experience of adult patients with PKU in relation to their disease and its dietary requirements, highlighting specific factors that might drive tailored educational or psychological intervention to improve adherence and engagement in the care process.

Tensions and Opportunities: An Activity Theory Perspective on Date and Storage Label Design through a Literature Review and Co-Creation Sessions

On-pack date and storage labeling is one of the direct information carriers used by the food industry to communicate product shelf-life attributes to consumers. However, it is also one of the major factors that contribute to consumer food waste issues. This study aims to systematically understand the existing tensions within the current date and storage labeling system and explore the potential opportunities for design to intervene. First, we conducted a literature review to identify tensions that the consumer encounters in their food edibility assessment system and summarize the corresponding proposal for actions. 12 tensions and 16 proposals for action were identified and further framed according to a conceptual model developed in this study. Following this, the literature findings were refined and grounded in co-creation sessions in consumer workshops and industry practitioner interviews to develop specific labeling-related design implications. The findings indicate the importance of investigating the role that date and storage labeling play from a system level. Furthermore, we suggest that the conceptual model developed in this study can be used not only as a framework that guides researchers to identify and analyze labeling-related food waste problems that each individual consumer encounters, but also as a guideline that assists packaging design practitioners in exploring potential design opportunities to solve the problem from a system perspective.

Implementing Experience Sampling Technology for Functional Analysis in Family Medicine - A Design Thinking Approach.

BackgroundA paradigm shift in health care from illness to wellbeing requires new assessment technologies and intervention strategies. Self-monitoring tools based on the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) might provide a solution. They enable patients to monitor both vulnerability and resilience in daily life. Although ESM solutions are extensively used in research, a translation from science into daily clinical practice is needed.ObjectiveTo investigate the redesign process of an existing platform for ESM data collection for detailed functional analysis and disease management used by psychological assistants to the general practitioner (PAGPs) in family medicine.MethodsThe experience-sampling platform was reconceptualized according to the design thinking framework in three phases. PAGPs were closely involved in co-creation sessions. In the ‘understand’ phase, knowledge about end-users’ characteristics and current eHealth use was collected (nominal group technique – 2 sessions with N = 15). In the ‘explore’ phase, the key needs concerning the platform content and functionalities were evaluated and prioritized (empathy mapping – 1 session with N = 5, moderated user testing – 1 session with N = 4). In the ‘materialize’ phase, the adjusted version of the platform was tested in daily clinical practice (4 months with N = 4). The whole process was extensively logged, analyzed using content analysis, and discussed with an interprofessional project group.ResultsIn the ‘understand’ phase, PAGPs emphasized the variability in symptoms reported by patients. Therefore, moment-to-moment assessment of mood and behavior in a daily life context could be valuable. In the ‘explore’ phase, (motivational) functionalities, technological performance and instructions turned out to be important user requirements and could be improved. In the ‘materialize’ phase, PAGPs encountered barriers to implement the experience-sampling platform. They were insufficiently facilitated by the regional primary care group and general practitioners.ConclusionThe redesign process in co-creation yielded meaningful insights into the needs, desires and daily routines in family medicine. Severe barriers were encountered related to the use and uptake of the experience-sampling platform in settings where health care professionals lack the time, knowledge and skills. Future research should focus on the applicability of this platform in family medicine and incorporate patient experiences.

Co-creation of an assistive robot for independent living: lessons learned on robot design

To increase the usage of assistive robots into daily life it is important to include end-users in early development stages. This paper propose an iterative co-creative method to refine the design of an assistive robot called ASTRO. Three co-creation sessions were organized involving a total of 102 individuals. This paper presents the feedback collected and provides the results from an evaluation of the final prototype. The results underline that the robot’s design was perceived in a positive way (attractiveness and stimulation domains). Even though the co-creation results show that the function of the robot are also valued, the survey provides a more nuanced view on these aspects of robot design by showing a neutral evaluation of perspicuity, efficiency and dependability.

Developing and applying performance metrics to evaluate co-design activities in design-led innovation

Abstract – An increasing number of companies are experimenting with ‘designerly ways of innovating’ to improve the agility, speed and hit rate of their innovation activities. Co-design activities are emerging as part of a design-led innovation approach. Whilst there is extensive academic literature on design process performance metrics, they have rarely been applied by organisations that are testing co-design activities, possibly due to the time and effort that is required to apply them. This paper begins to address this challenge by developing a tailored suite of design process performance metrics. Some basic guidelines from the academic literature and the results of a practitioner survey inform the selection of metrics. We go on to apply the metrics to real-world projects within companies that are trialling technology-supported co-creation sessions. The metrics and the insights into their development and application are likely to prove useful to other design researchers and practitioners that wish to evaluate the benefits of adopting co-design activities as part of a design-led innovation approach.

SHAPING LIVING IN SOLIDARITY AMONG OLDER VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN BRUSSELS

This research explores how older people construct their view on ‘living in solidarity’. The data was collected during a cohousing project (from construction till occupation). Co-creation sessions with residents and project coordinators were analyzed. 7 conditions and success factors were unraveled that deemed important to realize ‘solidary housing’: 1) The challenge to unite individual and collective needs; 2) Continuous task to engage (candidate-) residents, from early beginning; 3) A targeted selection of residents; 4) Maximizing the competences of older people, 5) Developing a group identity consciousness, 6) Involving experts providing support for group- and individual trajectories, 7) Creating a climate of confidence. Solidary housing appeared to be a nuanced and layered concept which should not be overidealized. Participants demonstrate what is realistic, and how it can be shaped in daily practice. By discussing and deciding on group issues, the project coordinators created a shared platform for implicit and explicit agreements.

SKILLS AND STRATEGIES OF FACILITATORS WHO CO-CREATE DIGITAL STORIES WITH PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA

Digital storytelling combines storytelling and digital tools to create brief video clips in which narrative, images, and music are embedded, in order to share personal stories. Digital storytelling facilitators can be health and social care providers as well as care partners who collaborate with persons living with dementia to co-create their stories. These facilitators elicit people’s stories and use the technology to create the digital story. Despite their important role, there is a paucity of information on facilitators’ specific skills and strategies used in working with persons living with dementia. The purpose of this project was to examine skills and strategies used by facilitators who co-create digital stories with persons living with mild dementia. Audio recordings of 70 digital storytelling co-creation sessions conducted in three Canadian cities (Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto) were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Regardless of their disciplinary background, facilitators acted as weavers, bringing together narrative threads to co-construct a digital story with participants. Essential communication skills and strategies included active listening, strategic questioning, being comfortable with silence, and therapeutic responding. Building relationships and collaboration were achieved through flexibility, empathy, and encouraging autonomy. To be an effective facilitator of the digital storytelling process with older adults living with dementia, facilitators must adapt their communication strategies and relational skills to the strengths and needs of the older adults with whom they are collaborating.

Stimulating injury-preventive behaviour in sports: the systematic development of two interventions

BackgroundIn addition to the beneficial health effects of being active, sports are also associated with a risk of sustaining injuries. To avoid the occurrence of sports injuries, preventive measures can be applied. The aim of the current article is to provide insight into the systematic developmental process of two evidence-based interventions designed to stimulate injury-preventive behaviour in runners and skiers, in which Intervention Mapping (IM) and Knowledge Transfer Scheme (KTS) are used as developmental protocols. However, the ultimate steps in the process are adjusted to meet requirements of the intervention and the target group.MethodsUsing a three-step process, we developed two interventions to stimulate injury-preventive behaviour in runners and skiers. Sports participants, sports experts and behaviour experts contributed throughout steps two and three of the developmental process.ResultsIn step one we started with a problem statement in which we used information about the number and the burden of running-related and skiing-related injuries in the Netherlands. In step two, in-depth research was performed using four research strategies. During this step we tried to answer the following question: Which preventive measures or actions should be executed to prevent what injuries by whom, and how should we do that? A desk research/systematic review of the literature, expert meetings, target user surveys, and target user focus group meetings were conducted. In step three of product development, both interventions were developed. During the developmental process, co-creation sessions with target users were held. Before finalizing the interventions, pre-tests of the interventions were performed with target users.ConclusionsThrough a three-step approach, we developed two interventions to stimulate injury-preventive behaviour in runners and skiers. To develop an intervention that fits the needs of the target population, and will be used by them, it is necessary to involve this population as soon and as much as possible. Several steps in the IM and KTS protocols have thus been adjusted in order to establish an optimal fit between intervention and target group.

Extracting and Analysing Design Process Data from Log Files of ICT Supported Co-Creative Sessions

AbstractThe observation of designers' behaviour in collaborative design activities and the analysis of protocols improved the understanding of how novel ideas emerge, what occurs among designers and, indirectly, what methods have a good impact on the outcomes. Yet, protocol analysis requires recording the design sessions, often in a simulated environment, thus introducing a bias in the observation. Moreover, the analysis takes up to 1000 times the duration of the observed design session. These limitations definitely hinder the scalability of this practice to large experiments in real operational environments.This paper investigates the possibility to use the data collected in log files, automatically recorded during collaborative design sessions assisted by an ICT design support tool, as a means to extract relevant information about the design process and ultimately to infer insights about co-designers' cognition during the session. In this perspective, the paper proposes a set of metrics tailored to an Augmented Reality-based collaborative design tool. The study has been carried about by processing the data collected in 5 real case studies conducted in three different design companies.

The co-creation of values-in-use at the front end of infrastructure development programs

There has been recent academic interest in programs as value creation processes. Scholars focus particularly on the front end of programs as opportunities for clients to create value. At the front end, client and market partners can actively co-produce value through co-creation sessions. This paper investigates what stakeholders do in co-creation sessions and how this contributes to the co-creation of value at the front end of programs. We used an action research approach combined with participant observation, document analysis, and interviews with participants to study stakeholder engagement in co-creation sessions at the front end of a Dutch infrastructure development program. The findings show that the client intended to realize a value (value-for-firm) that was competing with market partners' values. By engaging in co-creation sessions with the client, market partners and knowledge partners co-created three sets of values (value-in-use) as follows: commercial, intellectual and collaborative values. The findings contribute to the academic debate on value creation in programs with an in-depth understanding of co-creation sessions at the front end.

Matching gerontechnologies to independent-living seniors\u2019 individual needs: development of the GTM tool

BackgroundMost seniors wish to live independently for as long as possible. Gerontechnologies such as personal alarms or remote control systems, have the potential to help them age in place. For seniors, assessing what is the most appropriate technology for their aging in place needs can be difficult. Professionals specifically tasked with matching seniors’ needs with technology solutions can greatly help here. Yet not much is known about the challenges these professionals face or how they can optimize their matchmaking service.MethodsParticipatory action research was conducted in the Netherlands, in two phases. In phase one, ten matchmaking dialogues between municipal technology consultants and seniors were observed, followed by interviews with both technology consultants and seniors to understand the current matchmaking service. In phase two, a new matchmaking tool was co-created with technology consultants and other professionals over the course of four co-creation session. Variants of the tool were tested out in nine additional matchmaking dialogues. The Cycle of Technology Acquirement by Independent-Living Seniors (C-TAILS) model, which can be used to understand both origins and consequences of technology acquirement by independent-living seniors, was used as a theoretical lens.ResultsImportant challenges for municipal technology consultants in their current matchmaking practice are: making the matchmaking service more demand oriented and creating an accurate and complete overview of relevant factors within the seniors’ individual situation so that an optimal match can be made. Together with technology consultants and other professionals, a new Gerontechnologies Matchmaking (GTM) tool was created to help overcome these challenges. Evaluation of the tool showed that it better includes each senior’s personal, social, physical and technological context, within the matchmaking service.ConclusionProfessionals who help seniors match gerontechnology to their aging in place needs experience a variety of challenges in the delivery of their service. Currently, few tools are available for them to overcome these challenges. The newly developed GTM tool can help overcome challenges and optimize matchmaking services. Further testing of the tool in different contexts is needed to determine its generalizability.

OP62 Let's Co-design A Tool To Assess Overweight And Obesity Health Apps

IntroductionThere are more than 320,000 accessible health apps, with the most downloaded of those related to physical exercise and weight control. However the initiatives for their validation address only partial aspects of the evaluation. The EVALAPPS project aims to develop an assessment tool for overweight and obesity management apps, based on the evaluation of efficacy, effectiveness and safety. In the present phase of the project, the team is co-creating the assessment tool considering both the evidence and the expertise of professionals (co-creation process).MethodsProposed co-creation methodology includes: 1) a modified Delphi process for selecting the assessment criteria. Criteria were identified through a) an exhaustive review of the criteria used by several mHealth assessment tools and b) a systematic review of efficacy, safety and effectiveness criteria used in mHealth interventions that assess overweight and obesity management. 2) a co-creation session using “Design Thinking” techniques for defining the final content and appearance of the tool (November 2018).ResultsTen dimensions and 133 criteria were identified, both in relation to the outputs (Usability, Clinical Effectiveness, Security, Development, etc.) and the outcomes (such as weight loss, number of steps). Of those, 114 were included in the modified Delphi, in which 31 professionals participated. A set of 63 criteria were selected as candidates for being part of the tool. Criteria mainly belonged to Security (22%) and Usability dimensions (14%), followed by Quality (11%), and outcomes related to Activity (11%) and Physical status (11%). Once the co-creation session has been performed, the final tool will be developed.ConclusionsRelevant criteria to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mHealth interventions in the management of overweight and obesity have been identified. Once the tool is developed it will be user tested and piloted on users of overweight and obesity management apps.

Co-creating and Assessing Future Wellbeing Technology Using Design Fiction

In this article, we present our research using design fiction to explore future wellbeing technologies for older adults. “For Good Times and Bad Times” is a design fiction representing a range of emotional, qualitative, and functional goals associated with wellbeing health technology. We invited a small cohort of experts to participate in a wearable monitoring device co-creation session, and then invited older-aged participants to review and reflect on a design fiction crafted from the experts’ findings and a set of psychological needs and values that have been associated with wearable health devices. The results offer insight into the future of wellbeing monitoring technology, and demonstrate the power design fiction has to communicate and generate deep discussions on the psychological, cultural, and social implications of using technologies that mediate complex personal experiences. We discuss the challenges associated with creating and using design fiction in research with older adults, and the potential of fiction to shift perspectives and elicit prospective outcomes of using future technologies.

The Researcher as Storyteller

This article offers a first exploratory critique of digital tools' socio-technical affordances in terms of support for narrative creation by media researchers. More specifically, we reflect on narrative creation processes of research, writing and story composition by Media Studies and Humanities scholars, as well as media professionals, working with crossmedia and audio-visual sources, and the pivotal ways in which digital tools inform these processes of search and storytelling. Our study proposes to add to the existing body of user-centred Digital Humanities research by presenting the insights of a cross-disciplinary user study. This involves, broadly speaking, researchers studying audio-visual materials in a co-creative design process, set to fine-tune and further develop a digital tool (technically based on linked open data) that supports audio-visual research through exploratory search. This article focuses on how 89 researchers – in both academic and professional research settings – use digital search technologies in their daily work practices to discover and explore (crossmedia, digital) audio-visual archival sources, especially when studying mediated and historical events. We focus on three user types, (1) Media Studies researchers; (2) Humanities researchers that use digitized audio-visual materials as a source for research, and (3) media professionals who need to retrieve materials for audio-visual text productions, including journalists, television/image researchers, documentalists, documentary filmmakers, digital storytellers, and media innovation experts. Our study primarily provides insights into the search, retrieval and narrative creation practices of these user groups. A user study such as this which combines different qualitative methods (focus groups with co-creative design sessions, research diaries, questionnaires), first, affords fine-grained insights. Second, it demonstrates the relevance of closely considering practices and mechanisms conditioning narrative creation, including self-reflexive approaches. Third and finally, it informs conclusions about the role of digital tools in meaning-creation processes when working with audio-visual sources, and where interaction is pivotal.

A Framework for Assessing Democratic Qualities in Collaborative Economy Platforms: Analysis of 10 Cases in Barcelona

The term “collaborative economy” or “collaborative economy platforms” refers to exchange, sharing, and collaboration in the consumption and production of capital and labor among distributed groups, supported by a digital platform. Collaborative economies’ use is growing rapidly and exponentially, creating high expectations of sustainability and their potential to contribute to the democratization of the economy. However, collaborative economy platforms lack a holistic framework to assess their sustainability and pro-democratization qualities. In addition, there is confusion about platforms which present themselves as collaborative when they actually are not, and similar uncertainties and ambiguities are associated with diverse models. To address this confusion, this article provides a framework for assessing the pro-democratic qualities of collaborative economy initiatives. It was applied to 10 cases in the context of the city of Barcelona. The methods used in this study include mapping and typifying 10 collaborative economy cases in the city, structured and in-depth interviews, and a co-creation session. The results indicate the presence of several modalities for favoring democratic values in a collaborative economy.

Designing an Online Social Support Platform Through Co-Creation with Seniors.

The high number of seniors that feels excluded of society highlights the necessity to promote active ageing. This intention can be supported through online platforms that encourage participation in social activities. The goal of the present study was to identify design principles of online support platforms for seniors through focus groups and to ideate the platform through co-creation sessions. The results show that a social platform for seniors must, among other, help to foster contact between users, and must provide services and meaningful activities. A first mock-up of the platform's design has been created based on the co-creation sessions and will be iteratively evaluated and enhanced in future studies in four countries across Europe. Our findings are in line with those of other studies demonstrating that seniors attach importance to trustworthiness and need to maintain social ties.