Deanne Spek, Froukje Sleeswijk Visser, Megan M. Milota, and Judith A.C. Rietjens
Design researchers and practitioners engage with systemic design across multiple levels, ranging from meta level to micro level human-to-human interactions. Supporting humans from within their systems to reflect on, envision, and intentionally shape their interactions is one of the approaches of system-shifting design. However, there is a lack of concrete and contextualised tools that can support designers on this human-to-human interaction level. Based on earlier research, we further explored the use of visual and generative tools in a larger research study aimed at enhancing understanding and thereby collaboration between actors in child psychiatry. Visual and generative tools aim to provide accessible ways to collectively make sense of complex inner and relational experiences. Acknowledging the contextuality and sensitivity that the design and use of these tools for human-to-human relationships require, we provide rich descriptions of the creation of and interaction around three of these tools in a research study in child psychiatry. We reflect on how the value of these tools unfolded in interaction with the professionals, caretakers, and children involved. The visual and generative tools supported reflexivity of both the designer and these actors and allowed them to make sense of the relationships among the actors together. Specifically, they enabled actors to reflect on needs and perspectives, broaden their understanding of the experiences of others, and become aware of how their interactions are influenced by (and influence) the relationships with other actors in the mental health system. Such reflexivity supported actors in envisioning possibilities for how to intentionally change how they relate. By making sense of their current relationships and interactions together with the families and professionals, the use of visual and generative tools provided insight into how and where change from within could be sparked. We hope the rich descriptions in this paper can inspire other design researchers and practitioners to carefully craft context-specific generative tools. Such tools can not only provide insight into the actor’s experiences in the system, but also empower involved actors to contribute to systematic change through their everyday human-to-human interactions.
Keywords: Visual and generative tools, reflexivity, self-understanding, agency, relationships