During the DRS2020 Conversation session on Global Health in light of COVID-19: Reframing the Role of Design, several design researchers from across the globe joined online in discussions on the subjects.
Led by members form the DRS SIG on Global Health, the Conversation, held on 14th August, explored how can design research can help address and mitigate the health, social, economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak in LMICs and which sectors design researchers need to work with to address this more effectively.
Conversation delegates engaged in discussion aimed to address two key questions:
- Question 1: How can design research help address and mitigate the health, social, economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak in Low/Middle-Income Countries
- Question 2: Which sectors do design researchers need to work with to address and what are the gaps/challenges are they likely to face in working with these sectors?
The responses to these were recorded and notes were also made, drawing several challenges and opportunities for design researchers. The notes can be accessed here.
These along with analysis of the recordings and further contributions from the conversation delegates will be developed into a paper that will be included in a special issue of Little Book of Global Health on design research and COVID-19, to be published in winter 2020. More on this to be posted here soon.
Emmanuel Tsekleves