Design for Engagement

About Design for Engagement

The Design for Engagement project is a multidisciplinary research initiative with two primary aims:

1. To identify the key design factors that enhance engagement and retention of participants in digital health (DH) intervention platforms within clinical research settings; and
2. To develop a methodological framework that provides both theoretical insights and practical tools to support multidisciplinary teams in the design and development of DH platforms.

Grounded in real-world evidence, this project explores how design choices and collaborative development processes influence the effectiveness of online clinical research tools.

Project overview

Design for Engagement focuses on both the design and the collaborative processes behind DH platforms. It investigates not only the design features that foster user participation, but also the ways in which researchers, developers, and designers work together to create these platforms. By addressing the challenges in cross-disciplinary collaboration, the project aims to enable smoother development cycles and, ultimately, more engaging platforms.

The Design for Engagement project aims to bridge disciplinary gaps and put user experience at the core of digital health development by generating evidence-based guidance and tools for co-designing and developing DH platforms.

Main objectives

1. Understand what drives engagement and retention in DH interventions through a systematic literature review.
2. Identify the needs and challenges faced by key interest-holders, such as researchers, developers, and designers, in the DH platform development process.
3. Develop a methodological framework to guide interdisciplinary teams in creating more user-centered and engaging DH platforms.
   

Studies outline

Study I – Systematic literature review

Study I delineates the main concepts, definitions, and influencing factors of participant engagement and retention in DH intervention platforms through a systematic literature review. It will examine factors such as perceived usability and usefulness, satisfaction with interactive elements, and the visual interface.

Study II – Mixed-methods investigation of researchers’ and developers’ needs and challenges

Study II investigates the needs and challenges faced by diverse interest-holders, such as clinical researchers, interaction designers, and system developers, when developing a DH platform for interventions. The study identifies critical experiences, needs, collaborative challenges in platform development, and relevant platform elements and characteristics.

Study III - Conceptualisation and development of the methodological framework

Based on the findings and insights from Studies I and II, a methodological framework will be conceptualised. The framework has two objectives: first, to enhance collaboration between multidisciplinary stakeholders, promoting a more seamless workflow; second, to align understanding and decision-making of various design aspects of the DH platform that affect participant engagement and retention.