Co-design with young people yields more effective digital mental health tools

Why It Matters

This approach ensures that the technology developed truly meets the needs and preferences of its intended users, increasing engagement and potential for positive outcomes. It shifts the focus from designing *for* a demographic to designing *with* them, fostering a sense of ownership and relevance.

Key Finding

Actively involving young people throughout the development lifecycle of digital mental health tools is vital for their success, though continuous adaptation to new technologies and user needs is required.

Key Findings

• Co-design is crucial for developing effective digital mental health technologies for young people.
• Engaging diverse user groups and adapting to technological advancements are ongoing challenges.
• Evaluating the co-design process and its impact on the final technology is essential.

Research Evidence

Aim: What are the key considerations and best practices for co-designing digital mental health technologies with children and young people?

Method: Literature Review and Practitioner Guidance

Procedure: The authors reviewed existing literature and practitioner experiences to synthesize best practices for co-designing digital mental health technologies with young users.

Context: Development of digital mental health technologies for children and young people.

Design Principle

User participation throughout the design lifecycle is paramount for creating relevant and effective solutions.

How to Apply

When developing any digital product for young users, establish a co-design framework that includes them in ideation, prototyping, testing, and refinement stages.

Limitations

The review focuses on digital mental health technologies, and findings may not directly translate to all types of digital products for young people. The dynamic nature of technology means best practices will continue to evolve.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: When you make something for young people, ask them to help you design it from the start. This makes it much more likely to be useful and liked by them.

Why This Matters: Involving target users in your design process ensures your project is relevant, user-friendly, and addresses real needs, which is a core aspect of good design practice.

Critical Thinking: How can the principles of co-design with young people be adapted for other user groups with potentially different communication styles or levels of digital literacy?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the critical importance of co-design in developing digital mental health technologies for children and young people. By actively involving the target user group throughout the design lifecycle, practitioners can ensure that the resulting technologies are not only relevant and engaging but also more effective in addressing their needs. This approach aligns with user-centred design principles, emphasizing that direct user participation leads to superior outcomes.

Project Tips

• Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of young co-designers.
• Use age-appropriate methods for feedback and ideation.
• Document the co-design process thoroughly.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this paper when justifying the inclusion of user research and co-design methods in your design project.
• Use the findings to support the rationale for involving specific user groups in your design process.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of how user input directly influenced design decisions.
• Show evidence of iterative design based on feedback from the target demographic.

Independent Variable: Involvement of children and young people in the design process

Dependent Variable: Effectiveness and relevance of digital mental health technologies

Controlled Variables: Type of digital technology, specific mental health focus, age range of participants

Strengths

• Synthesizes existing knowledge and practitioner experience.
• Provides practical guidance for future development.

Critical Questions

• What are the ethical considerations when co-designing with vulnerable user groups like children and young people?
• How can the long-term impact of co-designed technologies be effectively measured?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the ethical frameworks for co-designing with minors, or compare different co-design methodologies for digital product development.

Source

Practitioner review: Co‐design of digital mental health technologies with children and young people · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · 2020 · 10.1111/jcpp.13258