Human-centred design thinking: a novel tool for co-creation in physical activity research

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Community Engagement

Background:

• Most youth and adults are insufficiently physically active, despite known health benefits.
• Current physical activity interventions often have modest effects due to limited community involvement.
• Co-creation is increasingly used in research to enhance community buy-in and develop localized solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how human-centered design thinking can augment co-creation in physical activity research.
• To address challenges in co-creation, such as underreporting of methodologies.
• To provide a framework for integrating human-centered design thinking into community-based physical activity initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and conceptual argument for human-centered design thinking.
• Discussion of human-centered design thinking principles and tools (e.g., Double Diamond model).
• Presentation of a case study illustrating the application of human-centered design thinking in co-creation.

Main Results:

• Human-centered design thinking offers structured methods and tools to strengthen co-creation processes.
• It can help overcome challenges related to methodology reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• The approach facilitates asking different questions to spark social innovation in physical activity.

Conclusions:

• Human-centered design thinking is a valuable complementary approach to co-creation in physical activity research.
• Integrating this methodology can lead to more effective, community-driven physical activity interventions.
• Further research and reporting guidelines are needed to fully leverage these combined approaches.