Rethinking how healthcare is conceptualised and delivered through speculative design in the UK and Malaysia: A Comparative study.

Author:

Year: 2019

Full Citation:

The paper aims, firstly, at presenting cross-cultural design-driven research responses that explore alternative ways of conceptualising the delivery of healthcare, through participatory speculative design. Secondly, it aims at offering a comparative study, which explores this approach in the theme of ageing in place, with different groups of senior citizens in the UK and Malaysia. In a series of co-design workshops, speculative design served as a safe and creative environment for participants in the UK and Malaysia to explore new ideas for health and wellbeing. Our findings reveal that aside from the high interest in healthcare demonstrated by participants, the feasibly of adopting speculative design as a tool to engage with vulnerable groups (in non-Western contexts) is supported. Moreover, evidence of how such an approach encourages involvement, gives voice and expanses imagination, could be adopted by policy-makers and governments to enhance engagement with hard to reach groups such as senior citizens.

Keywords:

Speculative Design, Healthcare, Ageing, Design Policy, Malaysia, UK