Research theme: Design for Health and Wellbeing
Applying design and craft practices to improve both mental and physical wellbeing and health.
About our research
About our research
In the Design for Health and Wellbeing group, also known as DoWell, we explore how design and craft processes can improve physical and mental health.
We co-design our research into the social and societal aspects of health and wellbeing with the people who will benefit from our studies.
Our research contributes to national and international action on health, disability, dementia and neurodiversity through work with the people living with such conditions.
Health and wellbeing matter at all stages of life. Conventional mental and physical health services often prioritise treatment. By contrast, we promote prevention — aiming to recognise and respond to people’s needs, wants, wishes, and rights to health, wellbeing and equality.
Design, including craft, makes an important contribution to preventative strategies. We raise awareness that the design of environments, services, systems, interactions and products can have a significant impact on people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing.
We are interested in hearing from potential PhD candidates with proposals in the areas we cover.
Our research areas
Our approach to design leads to socially-responsive outcomes that address and enhance mental and physical health, wellbeing and equality. Our research broadly covers three areas — context and policy, co-design, and design outcomes and interventions — including:
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understanding the social and cultural implications of contemporary health and wellbeing
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developing methods of prevention and support for people using the different areas of design
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using co-production and public engagement methods to develop best practice for health and wellbeing services and interventions
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championing the role of people with experience as experts in shared decision making to give them greater control and improve quality of life
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exploring the development of design-based approaches and outputs, including relevant services and psychosocial interventions
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using design to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing throughout life, from childhood to old age
Selected projects
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Key publications
Tournier, I and Vidovicova, L (2021) Social Exclusion in Later Life in Social Exclusion in Later Life: Interdisciplinary and Policy Perspectives Springer International Publishing
Niedderer, K, Clune, S and Ludden, G (2018) Design for Behaviour Change Theories and Practices of Designing for Change Routledge
Niedderer, K, Tournier, I, Coleston-Shields, DM, Craven, M, Gosling, J, Garde, J, Salter, B, Bosse, M and Griffioen, I (2020) Designing with and for People with Dementia: Developing a Mindful Interdisciplinary Co-Design Methodology in Muratovski, G and Vogel, C (eds) Re:Research 4(Design and Living Well) pp. 147-168, Intellect
Niedderer, K, Harrison, D, Gosling, J, Craven, MP, Blackler, A, Losada, R and Cid, T (2020) Working with Experts with Experience: Charting Co-production and Co-design in the Development of HCI-Based Design in Brankaert, R and Kenning, G (eds) HCI and Design in the Context of Dementia pp. 303-320, Springer
Ferring, D and Tournier, I (2017) Autobiographical Memory, Self-Regulation, and Well-Being in The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being pp. 275-289, Springer International Publishing
Niedderer, K (2014) Mediating Mindful Social Interactions Through Design in Le, A, Ngnoumen, CT and Langer, EJ (eds) The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Mindfulness pp. 345-366, Wiley
Niedderer, K, Holthoff-Detto, V, van Rompay, TJL, Karahanoğlu, A, Ludden, GDS, Almeida, R, Losada Durán, R., Bueno Aguado, Y, Lim, J.N.W, Smith, T, Harrison, D, Craven, M.P, Gosling, J, Orton, L and Tournier, I (2022) This is Me: Evaluation of a board game to promote social engagement, wellbeing and agency in people with dementia through mindful life-storytelling Journal of Aging Studies, 60
Lim, JNW, Niedderer, K, Tournier, I, Almeida, R, Harrison, D, Holthoff-Detto, V, Ludden, G, van Rompay, T, van der Voort, M, Galansinska, A, Smith, T, Lasada, RL, Bueno, YA, Druschke, D, Ziebuhr, B and Zanasi, M (2021) Applying a multicentre, interdisciplinary approach to strengthen the generalisability of qualitative dementia research: the experience and challenges faced by the MinD project in Europe Open Research Europe, 1, pp. 64-64
Fels, D, Blackler and A, Niedderer, K (2021) Does bouncy equal happy? Comparing user’s interpretations of emotions conveyed by one designed moving object based on the soma-semiotic framework Appl Ergonomics, 96, pp. 103463-103463
Tournier, I (2020) Learning and adaptation in older adults: An overview of main methods and theories, learning, culture and social interaction in Learning Culture and Social Interaction, pp. 100466-100466
Townsend, K, Niedderer, K (2020) Crafting health, well-being and happiness in Craft Research, 11(1), pp. 3-8
Ludden, GDS, van Rompay, TJL, Niedderer, K, Tournier, I (2019) Environmental design for dementia care towards more meaningful experiences through design in Maturitas, 128, pp. 10-16
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Key exhibitions and artefacts
Orton, L and Niedderer, K (2021) A Guide to Mindful Scenario Task Analysis, MiND and Manchester Metropolitan University
Niedderer, K, Craven, M, Gosling, J and Orton, L (2021) Mindful Co-design for Dementia toolkit MInD and Manchester Metropolitan University
Niedderer, K, Orton, L et al (2020) Living the Life, MinD and Manchester Metropolitan University
Threlfall, S (2021) Urban Workbench - citizen-driven placemaking
Setterington, L (2021) Safety Net Manchester art installation
Organisations we work with
Alzheimer’s Society
Age UK
Manchester Museum
Arts Council
Contact information
Contact us
For general enquiries about our Design for Health and Wellbeing group, you can contact its lead Prof Kristina Niedderer.