Thinking through colour: designing a collaborative paint-based co-design method

Abstract

This study describes the development of a paint-based toolkit, which explored how thinking through the act of painting, colour choices and mark-making might enhance meaningful conversation. Painting methods were valuable in creatively engaging patients and staff in co-design activities and helped them consider the focus topic of what ‘care’ looked like and meant to them. As such, we illustrate how a ‘simple’ creative activity can be used to help uncover different perspectives and sense-making around a shared focus. We hope that such an approach may support people to come together to help challenge the boundaries of what insight-driven healthcare might look like.

Keywords:

• Collaboration
• creative tools
• making meaning
• painting
• colour

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the participants who took part in each workshop.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hannah Sames

Hannah Sames has always believed in the healing and explorative nature of painting. She studied Fine Art at Whitecliffe College of Art & Design, before completing a Bachelor of Communication Design at AUT. Hannah has a keen interest in understanding how art, creativity, colour and the act of painting can help as both a co-design research tool, as well as creating a positive impact on hospitals and their patients.

Stephen Reay

Stephen Reay leads Good Health Design, focussing on how the design of products and services may have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing.

Cassandra Khoo

Cassandra Khoo is a communication designer and researcher working at AUT’s Good Health Design. Her background is in communication design, specifically in branding and information visualization. She has an interest in using co-design to improve communication in healthcare.

Gareth Terry

Gareth Terry is a Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation at the Auckland University of Technology in Aotearoa New Zealand. His work draws on critical health psychology and its application to a number of areas, in particular rehabilitation and disability studies. He has particular research interests in people living with chronic health conditions, men’s health, body image, reproductive decision making (particularly the decision not to have children), and masculine identities. He has methodological interests in thematic analysis, critical discursive psychology, and qualitative survey development, and has contributed to edited volumes in these areas.