Co-designing wearables: the importance of enabling a lack of consensus within the design process

This paper explores, through two case studies, the importance of enabling a lack of consensus between stakeholders, during the co-design process, and it’s impact on developing wearable technologies and supporting resources. The case studies focused on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and Parkinson’s disease. These projects used a co-design approach with population-specific stakeholder groups to develop an interlinked suite of tools and wearables that enabled improved condition management. Iterative prototyping was the primary method. Throughout this process, points of tension, negotiation and/or a lack of consensus emerged - particularly around which needs should take priority. Tangible artefacts and prototypes were used to explore these tensions, creating space for different perspectives and in-depth dialogue. The resulting interventions evolved into interconnected systems which addressed population needs. This paper highlights how a lack of consensus strengthens the co-design process and resulting interventions, and the role that artefacts and prototypes play in navigating and negotiating disagreement.