During our research sessions, one of the areas that were discussed frequently between all of us was mental wellness and vulnerability in individuals. Additionally, in my technology implementation research, I discovered a variety of technologies and countless ways to implement and use them in the healthcare field. However, I noticed a lot of this research could be used to favor mental competence and wellness. While keeping the foundation wet, I decided to put emphasis on this sector of healthcare while also acknowledging other concepts that I can look at.
Delving into this era of conflict, I noticed that the mental wellness market is very unbalanced. However, as we come into a new age and events such as the pandemic amplify our needs the markets for this area are exploding and contain a particular emphasis on children that have been historically left out. This is a similar situation to the wearable market, as the adult market becomes oversaturated, the children’s market is only taking off and emphasis on child health is becoming the utmost priority for most parents. This is an area of interest that I will be looking into today.
Brief – Why am I focusing on children?
- Elderly – Limited market
- Adults – Oversaturated market
- Children – Untapped market
Additionally, children are going through constant changes at these stages in their life making them more susceptible to problems. This can be very hard for both parents and children as, unlike adults, children aren’t great at explaining themselves or their feelings thus this can leave a massive gap in relationships and families. An article by High Speed Training explains,
“A key part in supporting children’s development is encouraging them to recognise, understand, and express their feelings and emotions. This can have a positive impact on their mental health, behaviour, academic success, and motivation to learn throughout their life.”
Framing the Design Challenge
The Design Question
“How can I make parents aware of their children’s mental disorders”
My job today is to see how I can turn these problems that children and parents face into opportunities via a healthcare app.
I really enjoyed doing the frame your design challenge as it has helped me explore the different directions I can take the design scope. It also has allowed me to explore and acknowledge many of the constraints and possible solutions. Additionally, it has helped me clarify the impact of my design goal. This is extremely important for me as the mental wellness market is extremely broad and tackles so many problems. Ultimately, this has allowed me to change the design question to:
“How can I bridge a communicative trust between parents and their children who suffer from mental disorders?”
This area poses a lot of problems but a lot of opportunities and is something that I want to look into even more.