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Towards A Framework for Holistic Contextual Design for Low-Resource Settings

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Aranda Jan, CB 
Jagtap, S 

Abstract

Healthcare inequality is ubiquitous globally, but the effects are most striking in low-resource settings. In these settings, current methods for the design of medical devices are failing to address specific needs. The associated publications rarely describe how the context was studied at the front-end of design. There is a latent need for a holistic contextual framework for guiding the design decision-making process for devices in these complex contexts. We present results from a systematic literature review and expert interviews that informed the development of a framework for contextualized design for low-resource settings. The contextual factors identified are described and compared for different types of medical devices. This taxonomical framework aims to guide designers towards gaining a better understanding of the context of use when designing products for global challenges in low-resource settings.

Description

Keywords

design for development, context of use, frugal innovations, developing countries, healthcare

Journal Title

International Journal of Design

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1991-3761
1994-036X

Volume Title

10

Publisher

International Journal of Design

Publisher DOI

Sponsorship
The National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) in Mexico supported this research.