Abstract
Steering sustainability transitions in complex organizations, such as hospitals, may benefit from iterative, situated, and participatory experimentation. Co-creation holds particular promise in this regard, acting as a “pebble” in the system that generates ripple effects towards sustainable change. However, its implications and methodologies within hospital systems, especially those grounded in design practice, remain underexplored. This paper investigates designerly co-creation through seven medical device design projects conducted by master’s students in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Drawing on observations of co-creation processes and 14 interviews, the study identifies designerly co-creation as both an “incubation space” for sustainability innovations and a potential “catalyst for change” in staff behaviors, mindsets, competencies, and hospital procedures. The paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on design for sustainability transitions by highlighting the evolving role of co-creation in steering change and generating impact within hospital contexts.
Keywords
designerly co-creation, sustainability transitions, hospital systems, healthcare
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2881
Citation
Özçelik, A., De Koning, J., Hunfeld, N., and Diehl, J. (2026) Dropping Pebbles: The Ripple Effect of Designerly Co-creation in Steering Sustainability Transitions in Hospitals, 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.2026.2881
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Dropping Pebbles: The Ripple Effect of Designerly Co-creation in Steering Sustainability Transitions in Hospitals
Steering sustainability transitions in complex organizations, such as hospitals, may benefit from iterative, situated, and participatory experimentation. Co-creation holds particular promise in this regard, acting as a “pebble” in the system that generates ripple effects towards sustainable change. However, its implications and methodologies within hospital systems, especially those grounded in design practice, remain underexplored. This paper investigates designerly co-creation through seven medical device design projects conducted by master’s students in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Drawing on observations of co-creation processes and 14 interviews, the study identifies designerly co-creation as both an “incubation space” for sustainability innovations and a potential “catalyst for change” in staff behaviors, mindsets, competencies, and hospital procedures. The paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on design for sustainability transitions by highlighting the evolving role of co-creation in steering change and generating impact within hospital contexts.