A conceptual model for the role of storytelling in design: leveraging narrative inquiry in user-centered design (UCD)

The Prevention through Design (PtD) initiative identifies the design stage as an opportunity to “design out” hazards and risks. An early emphasis on safety enables the reduction of opportunities for error and misuse in healthcare technology, and the corresponding safety and well-being of patients and providers. A pre-condition for preventive design is a deep understanding of users’ characteristics, goals, needs, and contexts of use. Standards recommend a user-centered design process coupled with ethnographic methods (e.g., self-report, observation) to gain this knowledge. However, current human factors methods may not provide an efficient means to explore the problem space during the concept stage. On-site observations require identification of an appropriate observation site, stakeholder buy-in, and IRB approval with adherence to HIPAA regulations. Off-site simulations require task scope, which limits design exploration before it has been initiated. Recommended self-report methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups) also have limitations. In previous work we found that the elicitation of experiences through “storytelling” resulted in the identification of significantly more context of use information than semi-structured interviews. The overall goal of this work is to present storytelling as a method rooted in narrative inquiry that aids designers’ understanding of usability requirements. We present a conceptual model for the role of storytelling in design informed by a synthesis of narrative and design research and apply the model to healthcare technology. We present the Design+Storytelling framework as a means for healthcare designers to operationalize storytelling in their work.