Reconfiguring a New Normal: A Socio-Ecological Perspective for Design Innovation in Sensitive Settings

What can design do to address adverse life events like childhood cancer? Cancer is not just a health matter—it strains family relationships and profoundly disrupts the stability of everyday routines. In this article, we introduce a socio-ecological perspective that untangles the systemic complexity of the challenges families face when confronted with childhood cancer. We use this lens to identify potential design opportunities for reconfiguring a “new normal” in their lives. We present and discuss the results of a participant observation of childhood cancer survivors at a large support group conference. These findings we analyze and organize into five themes corresponding to specific coping strategies: accepting the transformation of one’s body, avoiding avoidance, maintaining interest in social activities, retaining a sense of belonging to one’s social networks, and dealing with social stigma. These themes reveal opportunities for design innovation in sensitive settings that traverse the fields of interaction design, developmental psychology, and pediatric oncology.Human Information Communication Desig

Designing tactful objects for sensitive settings: A case study on families dealing with childhood cancer

In the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), there is an increasing interest in designing for well-being. With this contribution, we introduce Tactful Objects as a design perspective on interactive artifacts that empower people in sensitive settings. We explore the concept of tactfulness by designing two interactive artifacts addressing the needs of families dealing with childhood cancer. The first, Mr.V, is an interactive dispenser to stimulate social activities in the family. The second, AscoltaMe, is a kind of walkie-talkie to enhance communication between family members. Eight families in treatment were invited to try out one of these artifacts at home. We report on how they perceived the objects’ impact on family life, how they used and appreciated the objects and how the objects embedded at home. The findings highlight that Tactful Objects enable people to act with respect for their vulnerabilities and circumstances by establishing partnerships and collaborations that are inviting and appropriate for the setting in which they are embedded. We then reflect on the contribution of the work for research in healthcare and design for other sensitive settings. We conclude by presenting the limitations of the study and provide directions for future work.Emerging MaterialsHuman Information Communication DesignBT/Botanical Garden Delf

Support for families at home during childhood cancer treatment: a pilot study with Mr.V the Spaceman, a family-based activities tool

Purpose: It is important to support families in dealing with the distress that comes along with the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer. Therefore, we developed a playful tool that families can use at home to support their family functioning and safeguard their normal family life. We pilot tested this new tool called Mr.V and describe how families used and evaluated the tool, and how it could be further improved. Methods: Mr.V is an interactive dispenser that looks like a spaceman and proposes family activities. These activities are suggested by family members themselves and dispensed by the machine at unexpected moments. Mr.V produced data on how it was used, and a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were used to evaluate the experiences of families and the potential of this tool. Results: Ten families with a child with cancer between 5 and 9 years old (Mage = 6.7 years) who were in active treatment (mixed diagnoses) participated (n = 47; npatients = 10, nsiblings = 9, nparents = 16). All families used Mr.V for multiple days and were very satisfied with the tool regarding its acceptability, feasibility, and potential effectiveness. They also had suggestions on how the tool could be further improved. Conclusion: Mr.V is an acceptable and feasible tool that can be implemented by families independently at home, regardless of their level of need for support. Mr.V promoted family activities and therefore has the potential to support family functioning and normal family life at home. Future research should further investigate the effectiveness of this tool.Design AestheticsHuman Information Communication Desig