Short answer
Actively involve young people as co-creators throughout the design process of digital health interventions to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Digital Health (2023)
- Method
- Scoping Review
- Sample
- 18 articles
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Involving young users directly in the design process of digital health interventions leads to more relevant, engaging, and ultimately effective tools. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Digital Health. Using Scoping review with 18 articles, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Actively involve young people as co-creators throughout the design process of digital health interventions to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
Co-designing digital health tools with young people significantly enhances intervention effectiveness.
Involving young users directly in the design process of digital health interventions leads to more relevant, engaging, and ultimately effective tools.
Digital Health · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Digital health interventions for youth often focus on risk mitigation and mental health.
- 02Web-based platforms, particularly mental wellness websites and social media, are prevalent tools.
- 03User experience testing was a primary reported outcome in the reviewed studies.
- 04Participatory design techniques are integral to the efficacy of these resources.
Application
Design takeaway
Actively involve young people as co-creators throughout the design process of digital health interventions to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
How to apply
When designing any digital product for a youth demographic, establish a co-design framework that includes young people from the initial concept stages through to testing and iteration.
Project actions
- 01Consider involving target users in your design process through workshops or feedback sessions.
- 02Document how user input directly influenced your design decisions.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Comprehensive search strategy adhering to established review guidelines.
- +Systematic synthesis of findings using thematic analysis.
Limitations
It can be challenging to recruit a diverse and representative group of young people for co-design activities.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the review is supported by its systematic methodology and adherence to established guidelines. Validity is enhanced by the thematic analysis, which aims to capture the essence of the included studies' findings.
Think critically
To what extent can the findings of this review be generalized to other age groups or types of digital products beyond health interventions?
Design Principles
"User participation in design leads to more successful and impactful digital products."
This approach ensures that digital health solutions are tailored to the specific needs, preferences, and digital habits of young people, thereby increasing their likelihood of adoption and sustained use. It moves beyond simply gathering feedback to actively integrating user perspectives throughout the design lifecycle.
What This Means for Your Design
When you design something for young people, it works much better if you ask them to help design it with you from the start.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the importance of user involvement in your design project, particularly if targeting young users or developing a digital intervention.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This study highlights the critical role of co-design in developing effective digital health interventions for young people. By actively involving the target audience in the design process, interventions become more relevant, engaging, and ultimately successful in promoting health and well-being.
Source
Digital Health
Co-design of digital health interventions with young people: A scoping review
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about co-designing digital health tools with young people significantly enhances intervention effectiveness?
- Actively involve young people as co-creators throughout the design process of digital health interventions to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Evidence: Digital Health (2023).
- Why does "Co-designing digital health tools with young people significantly enhances intervention effectiveness." matter for design?
- This approach ensures that digital health solutions are tailored to the specific needs, preferences, and digital habits of young people, thereby increasing their likelihood of adoption and sustained use. It moves beyond simply gathering feedback to actively integrating user perspectives throughout the design lifecycle.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Actively involve young people as co-creators throughout the design process of digital health interventions to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
- What were the main findings?
- Digital health interventions for youth often focus on risk mitigation and mental health.. Web-based platforms, particularly mental wellness websites and social media, are prevalent tools.. User experience testing was a primary reported outcome in the reviewed studies.. Participatory design techniques are integral to the efficacy of these resources.
- What research method was used?
- Scoping Review with 18 articles.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Digital Health.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing any digital product for a youth demographic, establish a co-design framework that includes young people from the initial concept stages through to testing and iteration.
- What are the limitations?
- The review focused on a specific age range and may not capture co-design practices with younger children or older adults. The definition of 'co-design' and the extent of participation varied across studies.