Design as a methodological position: The ambiguity of the research-project and the INSÉPArable project experience

Design methodologies are being used increasingly in the healthcare sector to provide solutions that are better adapted to the complex context of the populations they serve. These methods rely heavily on qualitative data collection and codesign approaches in order to come up with proposals rooted in the realities experienced in the field. However, these approaches reveal certain ambiguities, oscillating between a research project and a design project. These ambiguities have been echoed during the INSEPArable research-project experience, which brought together researchers in design, nursing science, and psychology. Differences over the role of design in this context have highlighted an emphasis on its operational nature, where the focus is on the practice of design rather than its capacity to produce knowledge. These disciplinary tensions invite us to better situate the scientific positioning of design in a research process.