Design for Health and Wellbeing Research Group (DoWell)

Description

The Design for Health and Wellbeing group (DoWell) explores how design and craft processes can improve physical and mental health.

The Group co-designs its research into the social and societal aspects of health and wellbeing with the people who will benefit from these studies. The Groups’ research contributes to national and international action on health, disability, dementia and neurodiversity through work with the people living with such conditions. Health and wellbeing matter at all stages of life. Conventional mental and physical health services often prioritise treatment. By contrast, the Group promotes prevention — aiming to recognise and respond to people’s needs, wants, wishes, and rights to health, wellbeing and equality. Design, including craft, makes an important contribution to preventative strategies. Members raise awareness that the design of environments, services, systems, interactions and products can have a significant impact on people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing. The Group is interested in hearing from potential PhD candidates with proposals in the areas it covers, which are:

• context and policy,
• co-design, and
• design outcomes and interventions.

These areas also include:

• understanding the social and cultural implications of contemporary health and wellbeing
• developing methods of prevention and support for people using the different areas of design
• using co-production and public engagement methods to develop best practice for health and wellbeing services and interventions
• championing the role of people with experience as experts in shared decision making to give them greater control and improve quality of life
• exploring the development of design-based approaches and outputs, including relevant services and psychosocial interventions
• using design to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing throughout life, from childhood to old age

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

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University affiliation(s)

Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester