Exploring the Benefits of Co-Designing Multi-Sensory Environments with Neurodivergent Children.
Can the approach of co-design be effectively used when creating multi-sensory environments?
Aims:
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To co-design a sensory room with a group of neurodivergent individuals.
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To gain verbal and written feedback to access the effectiveness of using a co-design approach when creating multi-sensory environments.
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To create a collection of sensory objects to be installed into a sensory room.
Methods:
The methods used within this study are; qualitative data collection (survey, participant observation and interactive, focus groups - creative workshops and feedback sessions). Also Participatory action research (PAR) methodology with a co-design approach.
Participatory action research (PAR)
Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodology centred around the involvement of ‘participants as collaborators in research to enact social change’ (Peacock and Cutting , n.d). PAR is a framework used by researchers to subvert the power in-balance used in research approaches as it gives marginalised groups a position in the research, design, and analysis in projects as they’re ones with lived-experiences. PAR ‘is an umbrella term for all research approaches that engage stakeholders in each step of the research process’ (Delve,2022).
Co-Design
Co-design is one of those research approaches and is an emerging method being used in organisations and healthcare projects to promote the active collaboration of both designers and stakeholders in design processes, infuenced by the end-users needs. Co-design can be described an umbrella term for ‘participatory, cocreation and open design processes’ (Design for Europe,n.d). Though the term co-design may vary across different disciplines they all share a common goal of subsequently giving end-users a voice to enact change and solve problems.