Designathons are interactive events in which people work together to design and develop creative solutions to specific problems. TDR has published a new guide for people interested in organizing a designathon for improving health and well-being. This followed a systematic review of the literature on designathons and a global crowdsourcing open call.
Designathons have been used to develop health interventions and social innovations, inform consensus processes and spur community engagement. A designathon is a three-stage participatory activity informed by design thinking that includes preparation with end-users, an intensive period of collaboration and follow-up activities for implementation and research.
“Participatory health research and action: a practical guide on designathons” is for researchers, innovators, and community members who are organizing designathons and related participatory events. The guide focuses on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) because of the unique challenges and opportunities in these regions for using designathons. It helps users to design, implement, and evaluate designathons, with case studies, frequently asked questions, and examples. The practical guide was developed through a collaboration between TDR, Social Entrepreneurship to Spur Health (SESH) and the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI).
The practical guide follows a systematic review of the evidence on designathons and complements the TDR/SESH/SIHI Crowdsourcing in health and health research: a practical guide and the TDR/SESH Public engagement and crowdfunding in health research: a practical guide.
“This guide is a testament to the power of collective creativity when confronting some of the most vexing health problems of our time,” said TDR Director John Reeder. “It serves as a unique resource to help realize the goals outlined in the Alma Ata Declaration to achieve community participation in planning health services.”