DESIGNING FOR THE DEEPEST NEEDS OF BOTH PUBLIC SERVICE CONSUMERS AND PROVIDERS; INNOVATION IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE
Year: 2015
Editor: Christian Weber, Stephan Husung, Gaetano Cascini, Marco Cantamessa, Dorian Marjanovic, Monica Bordegoni
Author: van der Bijl-Brouwer, Mieke; Watson, Rodger
Series: ICED
Institution: University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
Section: Design for Life
Page(s): 443-452
ISBN: 978-1-904670-64-3
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
Design is increasingly used as an approach to support innovation outside the traditional design domain, including the public sector. One of the design principles that is used in these so-called design innovation processes is gathering ‘deep’ insights into users or customers needs to support reframing of problems. In an earlier publication we proposed a model of levels of depth of insights into human needs. This model indicates that the deepest level to analyse human needs for design innovation is the thematic level which describes human values and meanings outside the context of the problem. Analysing those themes supports reframing of problems. In this paper we argue that innovation in the public sector can benefit from analysing these deepest needs beyond the needs of just the public service consumer, to include the needs of public service providers. Meeting the needs of service providers might positively influence the quality of the service itself. We illustrate this through a case study which was aimed at developing solutions for the systemic problem of supporting people with severe and persistent mental health problems.
Keywords: Design Methods, Human-Centred Design, Design Innovation, Service Design, Social Design