MEHTODS AND PRACTICES
Project Diabetes
Keywords: Design methods, IEID, Back-casting, RSS Feed, Blog, and Diabetes.
While dealing with real world design problem, we need to follow some methods and practices which suits to the area we are dealing with to collect maximum information through various sources. This paper essentially deals with methodologies and practice we have followed to reach a vital solution for diabetes community.
Project diabetes is mainly focuses upon diabetics as a primary location for design innovation and community intervention. Hence, I think the IEID method approach is best suited for designing the service system and essential product development for the project. As designing a product or service is essentially concerned with how people can improve their day to day experience and basically focused on community intervention. The conception of community is placed as valid part of research and real world problem solving. Hence in the project we can clearly see that there is a potential diabetic community has been already identified and it is increasing rapidly. The project tackles with many issues such as illiteracy, poverty, self management, and healthcare, which essentially requires incorporating stakeholder participation as way to explore real life issues, develop understanding about the project, develop and refine ideas and innovate.
The methodology behind the approach explained above in divided into four phases, which are Immersion, Exploration, Intervention and Demonstration. (IEID)
In the Immersion phase is we are expected to identify different stakeholders of the project. So in case of project diabetes can say the stakeholders are diabetic, health worker, health practitioners, healthcare providers etc. the second part is information collection through various channels. Listening, reading and questioning to experts in the field as well as the diabetic. This information collection can be done through various resources. One nice method I followed is a kind of Triangulation Method. It is an interesting and quick method to gather information about a particular topic through web. The essential part is to set up a blog account on web where u can collect all the information to a single place, and as it is very helpful to the reader also to get the information about the related subject at one place. After setting up the blog by using RSS feed and Scribe fire tools one can easily collect the information about for what other people writing through the world and place it the blog. News getter keeps you updated with recent issue happening throughout the world related to the subject. You can frame the keyword related to the project, as in case of diabetes the keywords can be chronic care, diabetes management, online healthcare etc. So news getter will give you the latest post written by different organizations. This method helps you to get quick information collection about the current event happening in your field of interest.
In the exploration phase we are suppose to look for inconsistencies in the project and explore the possibilities. In this phase we try to find the loop holes in the current systems understand the system and locate the relevant area to intervene. Back-casting method helps to evaluate the impact of problem discovered and further opens up new possibilities.
Now what is Backcasting Method? It is a method to extend our imagination to future and visualize the scenario related to the concern problem and try to project the possibilities and make an attempt to find the solution, rather than merely try to solve the issues considering it will help in future. So in case of diabetes we tried to visualize a service and developed future scenarios which essentially lead us to develop a web based service.
Here comes the intervention phase into picture. Now as we have visualized a service we need to go back to the stakeholders and ask them to reflect on the service. With rigorous discussion and interviews with different stake holders such nurses, doctors and different diabetics we can generate a database which will help us to intervene a service system and essential product support that can help in achieving a positive effect in the diabetic community.
Once we intervene a convincing service and essential products which fits in the service from the gathered information through different stakeholders, then we can demonstrate the service by making prototype. Paper prototype is a very good method to demonstrate a web based service in effective manner.
The methodology will include the conventional design practice with deliverables like concept sketches, paper prototypes, mock up models etc.
The project will be framed in different phases so as workout a timeline which will help the project to run with smooth pace and prepare us to deal with the unpredictable and uncertain problems in the real world situation.
To conclude we will be following three different methods namely IEID, Back-casting, triangulation method and regular design practice to approach the possible design invention in the area of diabetes. The main focus will be on visualizing a service to self manage the diabetic condition. The process will be followed as scenario development, paper prototyping and product development.
The end deliverables will be a web based service and essential product support.
Prepared by:
Vazir Nadaph
S3216510
RMIT University
