Research Experiences beyond the Comfort Zone

Abstract

The intersection between design and care is shaping new design fields that are both promising and challenging. Design for healthcare is one of these fields: it brings opportunities for improving people’s experience of care through design research, but it takes designers out of their comfort zone. Scholars have reported success doing design for healthcare, but not much has been said about challenges, failures or confrontations found in this field. This paper argues that we should care more about discomforting aspects of design research to get a better understanding of what designing together involves. It presents a case of care (in)action and employs a personal approach to discuss challenges and confrontations that I faced doing research at the intersection of design, care and health.