Unpacking two design for health living lab approaches for more effective interdisciplinary collaborations

This paper provides an overview of a research project that aimed to build understanding of resonances/differences across cultural contexts related to two design for health living labs, one based in a hospital in New Zealand and one with a more community focus based in a University in the United Kingdom. A series of collaborative workshops between designers and health practitioners and researchers during four exchanges were held in Auckland and Sheffield to unpack the approaches and projects of the two. Using the labs as case studies we explore how to best develop creative, dynamic and innovative approaches to developing new healthcare solutions. While the two labs operated in different contexts, we identified similar challenges when undertaking design for health projects, with respect to how to bring these different disciplines together for collaborative activities. The paper reflects on the findings of the study and ends with recommendations for future research and the development of strategies to support inter-disciplinary design for health collaborations.