Carvings in stone: design research for public health investigations in the age of COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented complex challenges to public health research involving human subjects, necessitating creative thinking to maintain safe and productive qualitative data collection. In this paper, we describe how an interdisciplinary team overcame these challenges by translating in-person workshops into at-home design probes to explore connections between university students’ climate change attitudes and their health. Probes were purposively designed to facilitate and focus participation during lockdown with two key interactional components: (1) participant ⇔ probe, and (2) participant ⇔ physical environment. Thematic analysis of 18 completed probes (replete with elicitive drawing, etched stone, mapping, and writing activities) revealed a rich spectrum of climate change perceptions, eco-emotions, and key areas of impact. This case study provides insight into how pandemic-imposed restrictions presented a novel opportunity to reconceptualize how we collect qualitative data in public health research and summarizes the unique benefits of integrating such design-based approaches into the field moving forward.

Keywords:

• Probes
• design and public health
• mental health
• young adults
• climate change
• mixed methods
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Arnold Mages

Dr. Michael Arnold Mages is an Assistant Professor of Design at Northeastern University.

Estefania Ciliotta Chehade

Estefania Ciliotta Chehade is Associate Director of Center for Design at Northeastern University.

Sara Jensen Carr

Dr. Sara Jensen Carr is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Northeastern University.

Miso Kim

Dr. Miso Kim is an Assistant Professor of Design at Northeastern University.

Susan Mello

Dr. Susan Mello is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University.

Madison Thomas

Madison Thomas is an undergraduate Health Sciences student at Northeastern University.

Yechan Yang

Yechan (Ben) Yang is an undergraduate Behavioural Neuroscience student at Northeastern University.