design methods booklet

Design Strategy Team

Helix Centre’s primary function is as an innovation lab, translating research into products that improve health outcomes. A major success of Helix Centre’s four years as part of the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) has been an increased understanding and demand for human centred design methods. The Design Strategy Team was born as a shared human centred design function to satisfy this demand, working across Centres at IGHI and with partner healthcare organisations. The Team works to generate momentum through making and applying professionally practiced design expertise to research and strategy.

The Design Strategy Team covers four areas of work:

Design for research. The Design Strategy Team works collaboratively with academic teams to instil human centred design methods across all phases of research programmes. This work happens within the Helix Centre Lab, the NIHR Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, the Centre for Health Policy and the CRUK Imperial Centre.

Design in practice. The Design Strategy Team works with healthcare providers to instil human centred design into quality improvement initiatives. This work happens with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (where Helix Centre is based), other NHS organisations and international healthcare providers to translate evidence into practice, improve patient safety, patient experience and quality of care.

Education. The Design Strategy Team works to build the capacity for human centred design in healthcare through numerous academic programmes. This work happens as part of the joint Imperial College London and Royal College of Art MSc / MRes in Healthcare Design, the NHS England funded NHS Digital Academy and numerous masters programmes delivered by IGHI.

Strategic Communications. The Design Strategy Team works with internal teams to maximise the impact of IGHI’s global health impact story with high quality communication design and storytelling. This work happens collaboratively with teams across the Institute.

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