Short answer
Integrate young users as active collaborators, not just passive recipients, throughout the entire design and development process of digital mental health solutions.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2020)
- Method
- Literature Review and Practitioner Guidance
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Involving children and young people directly in the design process of digital mental health technologies leads to more relevant and impactful solutions. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Using Literature review and practitioner guidance, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate young users as active collaborators, not just passive recipients, throughout the entire design and development process of digital mental health solutions.
Co-design with young people yields more effective digital mental health tools
Involving children and young people directly in the design process of digital mental health technologies leads to more relevant and impactful solutions.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · 2020
Key Findings
- 01Co-design is crucial for developing effective digital mental health technologies for young people.
- 02Engaging diverse user groups and adapting to technological advancements are ongoing challenges.
- 03Evaluating the co-design process and its impact on the final technology is essential.
Application
Design takeaway
Integrate young users as active collaborators, not just passive recipients, throughout the entire design and development process of digital mental health solutions.
How to apply
When developing any digital product for young users, establish a co-design framework that includes them in ideation, prototyping, testing, and refinement stages.
Project actions
- 01Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of young co-designers.
- 02Use age-appropriate methods for feedback and ideation.
- 03Document the co-design process thoroughly.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Synthesizes existing knowledge and practitioner experience.
- +Provides practical guidance for future development.
Limitations
Recruiting and retaining young participants can be challenging due to time constraints or engagement levels. Ensuring diverse representation within the user group requires careful planning.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings is supported by the review of multiple studies and practitioner experiences. Validity is enhanced by focusing on a specific domain (digital mental health) and user group (children and young people).
Think critically
How can the principles of co-design with young people be adapted for other user groups with potentially different communication styles or levels of digital literacy?
Design Principles
"User participation throughout the design lifecycle is paramount for creating relevant and effective solutions."
This approach ensures that the technology developed truly meets the needs and preferences of its intended users, increasing engagement and potential for positive outcomes. It shifts the focus from designing *for* a demographic to designing *with* them, fostering a sense of ownership and relevance.
What This Means for Your Design
When you make something for young people, ask them to help you design it from the start. This makes it much more likely to be useful and liked by them.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this paper when justifying the inclusion of user research and co-design methods in your design project.
- 2.Use the findings to support the rationale for involving specific user groups in your design process.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights the critical importance of co-design in developing digital mental health technologies for children and young people. By actively involving the target user group throughout the design lifecycle, practitioners can ensure that the resulting technologies are not only relevant and engaging but also more effective in addressing their needs. This approach aligns with user-centred design principles, emphasizing that direct user participation leads to superior outcomes.
Source
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Practitioner review: Co‐design of digital mental health technologies with children and young people
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about co-design with young people yields more effective digital mental health tools?
- Integrate young users as active collaborators, not just passive recipients, throughout the entire design and development process of digital mental health solutions. Evidence: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2020).
- Why does "Co-design with young people yields more effective digital mental health tools" matter for design?
- This approach ensures that the technology developed truly meets the needs and preferences of its intended users, increasing engagement and potential for positive outcomes. It shifts the focus from designing *for* a demographic to designing *with* them, fostering a sense of ownership and relevance.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Integrate young users as active collaborators, not just passive recipients, throughout the entire design and development process of digital mental health solutions.
- What were the main findings?
- Co-design is crucial for developing effective digital mental health technologies for young people.. Engaging diverse user groups and adapting to technological advancements are ongoing challenges.. Evaluating the co-design process and its impact on the final technology is essential.
- What research method was used?
- Literature Review and Practitioner Guidance.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing any digital product for young users, establish a co-design framework that includes them in ideation, prototyping, testing, and refinement stages.
- What are the limitations?
- The review focuses on digital mental health technologies, and findings may not directly translate to all types of digital products for young people. The dynamic nature of technology means best practices will continue to evolve.