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Design innovation 

Design innovation sits at the heart of the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), helping us shape the future of health and social care services.

Multidisciplinary expertise 

We tailor our tools and methods to each project’s unique needs and stakeholder groups. Our process emphasises collaborative creation and iterative prototyping, ensuring each solution is thoughtfully developed and refined.

 

Creative practice 

We tailor our tools and methods to each project’s unique needs and stakeholder groups. Our process emphasises collaborative creation and iterative prototyping, ensuring each solution is thoughtfully developed and refined. 

 

Participatory design 

From the project onset, we partner with citizens and stakeholders, employing creative methods to collaboratively redefine and deepen understanding of challenges. Our participatory approach includes visualisation, co-creation, prototyping, and simulation, transforming insights into actionable designs for future services.

 

Envisioning the future 

Utilising narrative and visual storytelling, we collaborate with stakeholders to map current and future states, imagining preferred outcomes for health and social care. Our context-sensitive methods focus on delivering significant, co-designed results with tangible impacts. 

 

Continuous evolution 

As DHI advances its specialised design capabilities, Scotland’s health and social care services, continually benefits from and contribute to the progressive landscape of design research and practice in health and social care. 

Design innovation framework 

Design Innovation

Recognition

Recognised for its distinctiveness and efficacy, our design-led innovation methodology leverages the expertise of the School of Innovation and Technology at the Glasgow School of Art, a co-founding partner since our inception in 2013.

Man using VR headset exploring health and care simulation

Person-centred Records (PCR)

"Once for the Patient" is a person-centred electronic record system for NHS Grampian, developed with DHI using co-design methodologies. Completed in spring 2021, it aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness by ensuring records follow patients from admission to discharge.

"Once for the Patient" is a person-centred electronic record system for NHS Grampian, developed with DHI using co-design methodologies. Completed in spring 2021, it aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness by ensuring records follow patients from admission to discharge.

Magnify 2023

Developing and delivering an international conference on inclusive design and research.

Developing and delivering an international conference on inclusive design and research.

Setting a future direction for Digital Lifelines Scotland

Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) aims to reduce drug deaths in Scotland through digital inclusion and digital solutions that support people who use drugs.

Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) aims to reduce drug deaths in Scotland through digital inclusion and digital solutions that support people who use drugs.

COVID-19 Community Co-management (Co3) (TAP CO3)

This project expanded the National Notification Service (NSS) by adding a self-service contact tracing form, crucial to the Covid-19 response. It facilitated rapid data collection and improved accessibility for positive cases.

This project expanded the National Notification Service (NSS) by adding a self-service contact tracing form, crucial to the Covid-19 response. It facilitated rapid data collection and improved accessibility for positive cases.

Design Innovation in the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre

DHI’s unique focus on design innovation, driven by its partnership with the Glasgow School of Art, sets it apart by prioritising person-centered, scalable solutions over technology-driven approaches.

DHI’s unique focus on design innovation, driven by its partnership with the Glasgow School of Art, sets it apart by prioritising person-centered, scalable solutions over technology-driven approaches.

Midlothian HSCP TEC Pathfinder - Innovating in the Frailty System

Development of a non-functional prototype to improve the experience of people living with frailty (family, carers and staff)

Development of a non-functional prototype to improve the experience of people living with frailty (family, carers and staff)

Spotlighting impactful innovation

Professor Gordon Hush Board Member (Glasgow School of Art)

"At every stage of the process the design of artefacts, interactions and experiences is utilised to elicit expert knowledge, incorporate individual and social experience, and acknowledge observable behaviours and processes."

Professor Gordon Hush

Head of the Innovation School,

The Glasgow School of Art

dhi office co design workshop

Approach

We adopt a person-centred, equitable approach which focuses on the lived experience of citizens, using our innovation process model to work with individuals and organisations across government, academia, and industry to: 

  • Understand diverse and sometimes competing perspectives

  • Define clear, harmonised requirements

  • Establish technically robust solutions that respond to individual needs and are ready for adoption

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