Design for Health

One of the most complex global challenges is improving wellbeing and developing strategies for promoting health or preventing ‘illbeing’ of the population. The role of designers in indirectly supporting the promotion of healthy lifestyles or in their contribution to illbeing has emerged. This means designers now need to consider, both morally and ethically, how they can ensure that they ‘do no harm’ and that they might deliberately decide to promote healthy lifestyles and therefore prevent ill health.

Design for Health illustrates the history of the development of design for health, the various design disciplines and domains to which design has contributed. Through 26 case studies presented in this book, the authors reveal a plethora of design research methodologies and research methods employed in design for health.

The editors also present, following a thematic analysis of the book chapters, seven challenges and seven areas of opportunity that designers are called upon to address within the context of healthcare. Furthermore, five emergent trends in design in healthcare are presented and discussed. This book will be of interest to students of design as well as designers and those working to improve the quality of healthcare.

Emmanuel Tsekleves is a Senior Lecturer in Design Interactions at Imagination@Lancaster, Lancaster University. Emmanuel conducts research on designing creative and technology-inspired health-promoting interventions aimed at improving quality of life. Emmanuel blogs regularly for The Guardian and The Conversation on design in healthcare.

Rachel Cooper OBE is Distinguished Professor of Design Management and Policy at Lancaster University. Her research interests cover design thinking, design management, design policy, design for wellbeing and socially responsible design. She is the series editor of the Routledge series Design for Social Responsibility.