Short answer

When designing for wellbeing, consider incorporating principles that acknowledge the interconnectedness of individuals, their environment, and their social context, drawing inspiration from diverse cultural frameworks.

Field: Classic Design
Source: Social Sciences (2025)
Method: Indigenous standpoint theory and lived-experience narrative research
Evidence: Moderate effect

An Indigenous protocol, Bigaagarri, reframes threats to wellbeing not as individual failures but as communicative signals within a broader environmental and social context, offering a more holistic and inclusive approach. This classic design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Social Sciences. Using Indigenous standpoint theory and lived-experience narrative research, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for wellbeing, consider incorporating principles that acknowledge the interconnectedness of individuals, their environment, and their social context, drawing inspiration from diverse cultural frameworks.

Study

Classic DesignNew This WeekModerate effect

Indigenous 'Bigaagarri' Protocol Offers a Holistic Framework for Navigating Wellbeing Threats

Social Sciences · 2025

Key Findings

01The Bigaagarri protocol reframes threats to wellbeing as communicative signals rather than individual fight-flight-fear responses.
02Embedding Indigenous knowledges can lead to more holistic approaches to wellbeing and decolonize support for mental health.
03The protocol challenges Westernized, disease-specific approaches and dominant social imaginaries that perpetuate exclusion.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing support systems or interventions for mental health or wellbeing, consider how to integrate contextual and relational elements, moving beyond purely individualistic or symptom-focused approaches.

Project actions

01Explore how cultural frameworks can inform the design of products or services.
02Consider the broader context (social, environmental) in which a design will be used.
03Investigate how narrative and lived experience can be used to understand user needs.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can an Indigenous protocol, Bigaagarri, be translated into accessible modalities to reframe threats to wellbeing as communicative signals within environmental and social contexts?

MethodIndigenous standpoint theory and lived-experience narrative research

ProcedureThe study describes the development and application of the Bigaagarri protocol, which is rooted in Gumbaynggirr Indigenous concepts. It integrates Indigenous health values and the significance of place and social context, using personal narratives to illustrate its use in mitigating suicidal ideation.

ContextHealth and wellbeing, Indigenous knowledge systems, preventive health

Variables

IVFraming of wellbeing threats (signal vs. state)

DVApproach to mitigating wellbeing threats, inclusivity of design

CVCultural context, social environment

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Integrates Indigenous knowledge, offering a unique perspective.
+Employs narrative research to capture lived experience.

Limitations

The specific cultural origins of the Bigaagarri protocol may limit its direct application without careful adaptation and consultation.

Reliability & validity

The validity of the protocol's application relies heavily on its cultural grounding and the subjective nature of narrative research. Reliability would be enhanced through triangulation with other qualitative or quantitative data.

Think critically

To what extent can Western design methodologies be effectively decolonized by integrating Indigenous knowledge systems, and what are the ethical considerations involved in such adaptations?

Design Principles

"Wellbeing interventions should be designed as communicative systems, acknowledging environmental and social signals, rather than solely as individual responses to threats."

This research challenges conventional, often individualistic, Western approaches to health and wellbeing. By drawing on Indigenous knowledge systems, it provides a model for designing interventions and support systems that are more culturally sensitive, contextually aware, and inclusive of diverse experiences.

What This Means for Your Design

This research shows how an old Indigenous idea called Bigaagarri helps people understand problems with their wellbeing not as personal failures, but as messages from their surroundings and community, leading to better ways to help everyone feel well.

How to use in your project

1.Reference the Bigaagarri protocol as an example of a culturally informed design framework for wellbeing.
2.Discuss how its principles of contextual awareness and signal interpretation can be applied to your own design project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The Bigaagarri protocol, originating from Indigenous Australian knowledge, offers a valuable framework for understanding wellbeing challenges not as isolated issues but as communicative signals within broader social and environmental contexts. This approach, which integrates Indigenous values and lived experience, provides a holistic alternative to Western, individualistic models, suggesting that designs for wellbeing should consider these interconnected factors for greater inclusivity and effectiveness.

Source

Social Sciences

Danger Is a Signal, Not a State: Bigaagarri—An Indigenous Protocol for Dancing Around Threats to Wellbeing

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about indigenous 'bigaagarri' protocol offers a holistic framework for navigating wellbeing threats?: When designing for wellbeing, consider incorporating principles that acknowledge the interconnectedness of individuals, their environment, and their social context, drawing inspiration from diverse cultural frameworks. Evidence: Social Sciences (2025).
Why does "Indigenous 'Bigaagarri' Protocol Offers a Holistic Framework for Navigating Wellbeing Threats" matter for design?: This research challenges conventional, often individualistic, Western approaches to health and wellbeing. By drawing on Indigenous knowledge systems, it provides a model for designing interventions and support systems that are more culturally sensitive, contextually aware, and inclusive of diverse experiences.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing for wellbeing, consider incorporating principles that acknowledge the interconnectedness of individuals, their environment, and their social context, drawing inspiration from diverse cultural frameworks.
What were the main findings?: The Bigaagarri protocol reframes threats to wellbeing as communicative signals rather than individual fight-flight-fear responses.. Embedding Indigenous knowledges can lead to more holistic approaches to wellbeing and decolonize support for mental health.. The protocol challenges Westernized, disease-specific approaches and dominant social imaginaries that perpetuate exclusion.
What research method was used?: Indigenous standpoint theory and lived-experience narrative research.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2025 journal from Social Sciences.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing support systems or interventions for mental health or wellbeing, consider how to integrate contextual and relational elements, moving beyond purely individualistic or symptom-focused approaches.
What are the limitations?: The protocol's accessibility and broad applicability beyond its originating cultural context may require further adaptation and validation.