Enhancing Engagement In Public Health Research For A Younger Audience

In the evolving landscape of public health research, young people often face barriers to meaningful involvement. VoiceIn addresses this gap by providing a digital platform that empowers users aged 16 and up to engage with, review, and contribute to health research projects on their own terms. The platform includes both a mobile app and a researcher-facing website, aiming to bridge the gap between young individuals and public health initiatives.

Goal

Design an accessible, engaging, and user-friendly platform that increases the involvement of young people in health and biomedical research.

Outcome

A digital platform prototype in development that successfully engaged young users and met accessibility standards, enhancing their participation in public health research.

Service Designer,
User Researcher

Methods

User Research, Stakeholder Interviews, Usability Testing, Co-design Workshops, Persona Creations, Journey Mapping, Service Blueprint, Ecosystem Mapping, Rapid Prototyping, Feedback Loops

Year 2024-now

My research focused on understanding the unique challenges young people face when engaging with public health research. I conducted extensive interviews and challenge-setting workshops with potential stakeholders, including the service delivery team and researchers, to identify key pain points and preferences. The journey was segmented into three primary areas:

Encouraging young people to discover and engage into relevant research projects.

Understanding and interacting with research content.

Providing feedback and consent for participation.

I found that young users needed a more intuitive, accessible way to navigate and contribute to research projects. Common issues included difficulties with digital accessibility and a lack of engaging content.

Based on our findings, I developed interactive paper prototypes to explore various interface designs and gather detailed feedback. This approach allowed us to iteratively refine our designs based on user interactions and preferences. Key questions I aimed to answer included:

Would young users find the platform engaging and accessible?

Could the platform effectively facilitate their participation in research projects?

I conducted user testing with a diverse group of participants, including those from digital accessibility groups. This helped us validate our design choices and ensure the platform met accessibility standards.

The Importance of Early Accessibility Integration

Balancing User Needs with Business Objectives

The Value of Diverse Feedback Loops

Utilizing Paper Prototypes for Effective Co-Design

Adapting to Challenges in Recruitment and Compliance

The project is moving towards the next phase, focusing on refining and implementing the output from our current research and design efforts. This includes developing a fully-functional web module that visualises key Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) metrics. This module will feature demographic data overviews, filtering options, and a report generation tool, all co-designed with stakeholders to ensure relevance and usability.

Additionally, the tool will provide insights into trends and specific topics of interest, helping project teams and funders track and understand PPIE activities across health research portfolios or specific health domains.