This PhD will examine methods for involving users in the design of medical products. It will consider more participatory approaches like co-design and open design, which involve users directly in the design process. The challenges will be exploring how open design can work within regulatory frameworks for medical devices, and balancing user involvement with safety and intellectual property concerns. The PhD is funded to allow access to healthcare practitioners and patients to inform the research.
13. created & shared created using phone, camera etc uploaded, shared, curated, reblogged… 3g, WiFi, ADSL
14. open design – in practice mass production open design designer factory standardised products maker / co designer consumer / co designer interactive digital design process personalised products adapted from Orchestral Manoeuvres In Design , Atkinson, 2011 3D Printer
Shah talks about a framework for involving users. Doesn’t specify a methodology. -However, name checks SSI & Focus groups. Alun runs an elite PD consultancy. In his interview, this type of empathic work is done, to a degree. Stephen talks about the usefulness of working with those who will use / consume your service, and demonstrates the usefulness of this using prototyping
Challenges the commonly held notion of ‘designer as auteur’ or genius. In direct contravention of the socially held view of a designer shown before. Noble & Robinson talk in their paper about involving users as emancipation; empowering those users through their inclusion in design practice.
Open design is a relatively new practice. A good analogy is that of photography.
Previously had to buy film, that was developed in a lab. The film and processing was complicated, and too expensive for everyone to have a print lab at home.
Now, with digital cameras, photos can be taken, edited and printed even without the involvement of a computer. Notice that even the complicated photo-manipulation software is automated now (turning an image B&W, removing red-eye).
Photography is social- although photos that have been physically printed can be shared by mail, the majority of photos are shared electronically.
The photos are taken by camera or phone, and can be uploaded to photo sharing / blogging sites. This allows other users to edit, curate or reblog the images.
This diagram is adapted from Orchestral Manoeuvres In Design , Atkinson, 2011. Traditional mass production model – all familiar with this. Open design means the maker / consumer both participate in the process – note however that the consumer could also be the maker; creating or modifying plans directly from the internet.
RepRap Mendel.
MakerBot Thing-O-Matic
Examples of current open design business practice.
OpenIDEO Formed a community based off of Facebook (go where people are). The community participates across distinct stages of a project… from background research, concepts, development and then delivery. Users gain recognition for the different amounts they contribute at different stages. The projects put forward can be from NGOs, companies… and they can tackle quite open-ended questions and problems.
Local motors produce cars by crowd-sourcing the design and engineering of the cars to their community. The community participates in design challenges, ultimately choosing which cars to build. Anyone is invited to participate – and indeed if you buy a car you have to participate in the building process.
Case study basis – different topics to hone mix of methods / tools Design together, working towards a goal… entering the ‘Diabetes Mine’ competition
Tools for reflection and creativity Serious Play… tool for creatively reflecting through the creation of artifacts Uses a shared design language… Lego bricks for instance. This projective quality is important, the artifacts created tell a personal story