Short answer

Design projects in social care, and potentially other human-centric fields, should adopt a co-production model by treating individuals with lived experience as equal partners and integral members of the design team.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Research Involvement and Engagement (2025)
Method: Qualitative research
Evidence: Strong effect

Actively involving individuals with lived experience as 'experts by experience' in research design and execution significantly improves the relevance, applicability, and engagement of social care research. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Research Involvement and Engagement. Using Qualitative research, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design projects in social care, and potentially other human-centric fields, should adopt a co-production model by treating individuals with lived experience as equal partners and integral members of the design team.

Study

User-Centred DesignNew This WeekStrong effect

Integrating Lived Experience Enhances Social Care Research Relevance and Impact

Research Involvement and Engagement · 2025

Key Findings

01Experts by experience provided unique perspectives that improved research relevance and applicability.
02Their involvement shaped study design and contributed to data analysis and ethical discussions.
03Their presence fostered enthusiasm, energy, and greater engagement within research teams.
04Inclusivity efforts, such as clear communication and tailored support, were crucial for effective participation.
05Initial skepticism towards experts by experience evolved into recognition of their valuable contributions.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing services or products for vulnerable populations, form research and design teams that include individuals who have navigated those services themselves, ensuring their voices shape the entire design process.

Project actions

01When defining your user group, consider if any can be involved as 'experts by experience' in your design process.
02Think about how you will actively listen to and incorporate their unique perspectives, rather than just collecting feedback.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat is the role and contribution of individuals with lived experience in building research capacity within adult social care services?

MethodQualitative research

ProcedureSemi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with research team members, social care professionals, and experts by experience involved in a social care research capacity-building study.

ContextAdult social care services research

Variables

IVInvolvement of experts by experience in research teams.

DVResearch capacity, relevance, applicability, engagement, team dynamics, attitudes.

CVNature of the social care service, research team composition, support structures for experts by experience.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Focuses on the practical contributions and perceptions of experts by experience.
+Highlights the importance of inclusivity and support mechanisms for effective participation.

Limitations

It can be challenging to find and recruit individuals with the right experience, and ensuring they feel valued and supported throughout the design process requires careful planning and resources.

Reliability & validity

The qualitative nature of the study provides rich insights into the 'how' and 'why' of expert involvement, but findings may be subject to researcher interpretation. The specific context of adult social care may limit generalizability.

Think critically

To what extent can the principles of involving 'experts by experience' be applied to design projects in fields where direct lived experience is less common or more abstract?

Design Principles

"Authentic user insight is best achieved through co-creation with individuals who have direct lived experience of the problem domain."

This approach moves beyond traditional user feedback to a co-production model, ensuring research directly addresses the needs and realities of service users. By embedding these perspectives from the outset, design projects can achieve greater authenticity and foster more meaningful outcomes.

What This Means for Your Design

Including people who have used social care services in research teams makes the research better because they know what's really important and how things actually work.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when justifying the inclusion of users with lived experience in your design process, particularly in sections discussing user research, stakeholder engagement, or iterative design.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The integration of 'experts by experience' into design teams, as highlighted by Warmoth et al. (2025), offers a powerful model for enhancing the relevance and impact of design projects. By actively involving individuals with lived experience in the co-creation of solutions, designers can gain authentic insights that lead to more user-centred and effective outcomes, moving beyond traditional user testing to a more collaborative and impactful design practice.

Source

Research Involvement and Engagement

The role and contribution of experts by experience in building research capacity in adult social care services: findings from the script study

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about integrating lived experience enhances social care research relevance and impact?: Design projects in social care, and potentially other human-centric fields, should adopt a co-production model by treating individuals with lived experience as equal partners and integral members of the design team. Evidence: Research Involvement and Engagement (2025).
Why does "Integrating Lived Experience Enhances Social Care Research Relevance and Impact" matter for design?: This approach moves beyond traditional user feedback to a co-production model, ensuring research directly addresses the needs and realities of service users. By embedding these perspectives from the outset, design projects can achieve greater authenticity and foster more meaningful outcomes.
How can designers apply this research?: Design projects in social care, and potentially other human-centric fields, should adopt a co-production model by treating individuals with lived experience as equal partners and integral members of the design team.
What were the main findings?: Experts by experience provided unique perspectives that improved research relevance and applicability.. Their involvement shaped study design and contributed to data analysis and ethical discussions.. Their presence fostered enthusiasm, energy, and greater engagement within research teams.. Inclusivity efforts, such as clear communication and tailored support, were crucial for effective participation.
What research method was used?: Qualitative research.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Research Involvement and Engagement.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing services or products for vulnerable populations, form research and design teams that include individuals who have navigated those services themselves, ensuring their voices shape the entire design process.
What are the limitations?: The study focused on a specific context (adult social care) and may not be directly generalizable to all design fields without adaptation. Challenges in recruitment and ensuring consistent support for experts by experience can be significant.