Abstract
Research highlights the positive impact of creative modalities, such as drawings and images, in grief practice for children. However, more knowledge is needed to guide grief practitioners regarding the effects and contributions of these modalities to children’s coping strategies and wellbeing. This paper investigates the use of creative modalities in Danish grief support groups for children through a study involving participatory design research. The study provides a comprehensive overview of how creative modalities can support grieving processes and lay new ground for future work in codesigning creative modalities for and with practitioners and children. The concept of grief as an extended emotion has guided the study by examining creative modalities as embodied, social and material practices. The findings illustrate how extended emotions are enacted in grief practices and offers nuanced insights into children’s bereavement.
Keywords
Design for Wellbeing, Participatory Design Research, Grief Practices, Design for Children
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1979
Citation
Skov, K., Knutz, E., and Markussen, T. (2026) When grief takes shape: Codesigning creative modalities in grief support groups for children, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1979
Creative Commons License
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Included in
When grief takes shape: Codesigning creative modalities in grief support groups for children
Research highlights the positive impact of creative modalities, such as drawings and images, in grief practice for children. However, more knowledge is needed to guide grief practitioners regarding the effects and contributions of these modalities to children’s coping strategies and wellbeing. This paper investigates the use of creative modalities in Danish grief support groups for children through a study involving participatory design research. The study provides a comprehensive overview of how creative modalities can support grieving processes and lay new ground for future work in codesigning creative modalities for and with practitioners and children. The concept of grief as an extended emotion has guided the study by examining creative modalities as embodied, social and material practices. The findings illustrate how extended emotions are enacted in grief practices and offers nuanced insights into children’s bereavement.