Abstract
This paper, for the first time, maps and interrogates the contributions towards the emerging field of design and death, through a systematic mapping review. Key databases and grey literature publications are searched and 183 design contributions are analysed, categorising results according to death spectrum; type of contribution; interventional complexity; design approach; and stakeholder involvement. Findings show an increasing trend of design contributions towards death between 2000-2021. The field is being progressed by a triad of Healthcare, Computer Science and Design disciplines, often siloed in their efforts. Design approaches and methods including Human Centred Design and Co-design are popular, particularly within Healthcare. Majority of design interventions are object-based and focused towards final disposition, with a lack of 3rd and 4th order designs i.e. service, interaction and systems. Strategic implications include transitioning through transdisciplinarity; interconnectivity across the death spectrum; expansion of design theories in the field; and interventions beyond the object.
Keywords
death, palliative and end of life care, design contributions, systematic review
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.617
Citation
Tibbles, A., and Nickpour, F. (2022) Design meets death: A first systematic mapping review of design contributions to end of life field, in Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2022: Bilbao, 25 June - 3 July, Bilbao, Spain. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.617
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Design meets death: A first systematic mapping review of design contributions to end of life field
This paper, for the first time, maps and interrogates the contributions towards the emerging field of design and death, through a systematic mapping review. Key databases and grey literature publications are searched and 183 design contributions are analysed, categorising results according to death spectrum; type of contribution; interventional complexity; design approach; and stakeholder involvement. Findings show an increasing trend of design contributions towards death between 2000-2021. The field is being progressed by a triad of Healthcare, Computer Science and Design disciplines, often siloed in their efforts. Design approaches and methods including Human Centred Design and Co-design are popular, particularly within Healthcare. Majority of design interventions are object-based and focused towards final disposition, with a lack of 3rd and 4th order designs i.e. service, interaction and systems. Strategic implications include transitioning through transdisciplinarity; interconnectivity across the death spectrum; expansion of design theories in the field; and interventions beyond the object.