This paper presents outcomes of a PhD research that explores the relations between
service design, health and today’s social media specifically mobile technologies.
Mobile and social media tools offer new opportunities for a more user centered, socially
connected, and economically sustainable healthcare system. A major focus of research is to
understand how to bring users to involve in their own health management through mobile
narratives social networks to incite social interaction in promoting healthier lifestyles. This
research aims to identify the problem and explore answers through a practice-based
approach. It is based on research through design model and explores the practices and
processes of design through the participation in a focus project. Locast Health Pproject
aims to provide a helpful set of tools for teen’s risk at obesity to record their sociopsychological
environment and everyday health routines through participatory workshops.
Video diaries, created by a mobile application, visualized & shared in real-time on a
location-based platform. The exchange of information affects health decision-making with
the aim to create a long-term behavioral change towards a healthier lifestyle. Results show
that it is not far to imagine the use of mobile technology and civic media creation as a tool
to understand correlation of behaviors and encourage active participation in your own
health. Locast Health Diary helps developing awareness however, without an expert
participation it may not be sufficient to determinate behavioral change.
The research aims to explore the designer’s role, its relation with other disciplines in
designing service for a healthier lifestyle and investigate the use of participatory and
service design tools for the engagement of users in their long-term healthcare management.
DRS 2012 Bangkok
