Exploring Health Sector Complexity through Design Research by Olivia Kirk & Belinda Tobias

Being adaptive in approach is key in research, especially when it comes to facing complex scenarios in an increasingly complex world. More and more, we are seeing governments and organisations opting to apply research and design-led approaches to decision making. As design researchers, it is our responsibility to provide clear, representative foundations from which these decisions will be made. This talk discusses a design-led approach to looking at policy within the health sector, by considering the people it impacts.
Presented at Design Research 2021.

Transcript

1. COMPLEXITY
   HEALTH SECTOR
   DESIGN RESEARCH
   THROUGH
   BELINDA TOBIAS & OLIVIA KIRK
   DESIGN RESEARCH 2021
   EXPLORING
   

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2. ABOUT ME...
   Bel Tobias
   ● Cofounder and Principal at Tobias
   ● Public and private sector
   ● Strategic Design and Research
   Researcher
   Hi, I’m
   

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3. HUMAN
   We practice
   CENTRED
   DESIGN
   

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4. ABOUT ME...
   Olivia Kirk
   ● Strategic Design and Research
   ● Public and private sector
   Researcher
   Hi, I’m
   

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5. 6
   OF COUNTRY
   ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
   

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6. Designing for
   COMPLEXITY
   

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7. RESEARCH DO FOR
   THE HEALTH SECTOR?
   WHAT CAN DESIGN
   

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8. AN INDIVIDUAL’S
   HEALTH JOURNEY
   OVER THEIR LIFETIME CAN BE
   DISJOINTED & DIFFICULT
   TO NAVIGATE
   

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9. So we needed to
   UNDERSTAND
   the interconnections of the
   ecosystem by looking at
   THE PROVIDERS,
   THE PRACTITIONERS &
   THE PATIENTS
   

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10. RESEARCH
    WE MUST BE
    ADAPTIVE IN
    01
    

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11. Leave space to
    TAKE OPPORTUNITIES
    & make interesting pivots
    

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12. CONNECT
    02
    AUTHENTICALLY
    QUICKLY &
    

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14. ARE WHERE INSIGHTS LIE
    03 LIVED EXPERIENCES
    

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15. PROBLEM SPACE
    in more detail
    Through design research we can see the
    

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16. INCLUSIVITY
    TO DESIGN FOR
    INCLUSIVITY
    04 WE MUST RECRUIT FOR
    

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17. DIFFICULT
    to find participants first
    Look for the more
    

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18. PERSPECTIVES
    SYSTEMS THINKING NEEDS
    MULTIPLE
    05
    

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19. IMPROVEMENTS
    or
    Healthcare is an ecosystem & any
    INNOVATIONS
    need to consider all elements
    involved to work successfully
    

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20. CONTEXTUAL
    Consider
    LIMITATIONS
    

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21. CONTRADICTIONS
    BEWARE OF
    BIAS & ALLOW FOR
    06
    TO EMERGE
    

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22. OTHER PEOPLE’S
    biases than your
    It’s much easier to see
    OWN
    

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23. KEY
    TAKEAWAYS
    - To design for inclusivity, we must
    recruit for inclusivity
    - Systems thinking needs multiple
    perspectives
    - Beware of bias, and allow for
    contradictions to emerge
    - We must be adaptive in research
    - Connect quickly and authentically
    - Lived experiences are where the
    insights lie
    

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24. . DESIGN .
    . TO THRIVE .
    

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