Designing pain visualisation for caregivers of people with special needs: A co-creation approach

Recognizing pain in people with communicative disabilities is challenging. A support system detecting pain signals provides caregivers with information to intervene adequately. This study aims to develop a design for a user interface visualizing pain experiences for a signalling system intended for caregivers. Caregivers receive alerts, indicating the presence or absence of pain experienced by a disabled individual. The design process included the use of value proposition, a brainstorm, a mood board with basic design elements, and multiple questionnaires and focus groups. During the multi-disciplinary design process end-users were extensively involved. The final design was deemed intuitive, clear and recognizable, and useable in daily caregiving. This article describes the creation process for a non-hedonistic visualization for this niche end-user group.