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- Cardiff Metropolitan University / Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Submitting institution
- Cardiff Metropolitan University / Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Whicher and Walters’s research underpinned the development of a design ecosystem for innovation that had significant impact on policy and practice in Europe. The research was developed via multiple large-scale RCUK and EU-funded projects, contributing to seven policy instruments across six countries. These have influenced €358,000,000 of structural fund provision and direct government investment of €14,036,796 into more than 2,600 European SMEs. In Scotland alone (where one policy instrument was implemented) 618 companies benefitted. This led to £134,971,200 of additional sales for a governmental investment of £3,090,000 – a taxpayer return on investment of over 4,000%.
2. Underpinning research
Cardiff Met’s International Centre for Design and Research (PDR) has led a succession of EU-funded knowledge exchange projects focussed on integrating design into business support programmes and innovation policies across Europe. They include Sharing Experience Europe (SEE, 2007-2015 – €1,498,492Footnote:
Total award figures presented ), Design4Innovation (2017-2021 - €1,624,774) and User Factor (2018-2021- €1,564,681). Whicher used these projects to develop a framework for evaluating design innovation ecosystems as part of an examination of the impact of European design and innovation policies. The research advanced the notion of an innovation ecosystem, a theoretical construct used by policy makers and academics to understand innovation infrastructure to evaluate the supply of, demand for, and impact of design in a given country or region. This research was intended to inform design policy implementation in the UK.
The Design4Innovation and User Factor projects further developed the design innovation ecosystem notion which was also a key component in the development of the AHRC-funded ‘Mapping Design Innovation Ecosystems’ ( Walters Principal Investigator (PI), Whicher Co-Investigator (CoI) [1]). These projects provided an opportunity to consolidate years of design-led practice into academic theory. It examined why and how design is increasingly recognised as a priority for innovation by government. Whicher investigated the different approaches European governments were taking to support innovation within SMEs, and the increased importance they placed on design [R1]. In the same way that innovation policy is based on an analysis of the innovation ecosystem, Whicher demonstrated that design policy should be based on an analysis of the design ecosystem, and account for each aspect of the ecosystem to ensure a balance between supply of and demand for design expertise.
Subsequent research examined innovation support levels in Wales and Scotland to better understand how a design innovation ecosystem approach might work in a regional government context [R2]. Whicher demonstrated that while design was being considered at a national level, a gap in research-informed design policy existed at a regional level.
Building on the evidence that design ecosystems help inform policy makers on how to develop more appropriate innovation support for economic impact, Whicher explored how design might more broadly be used as a tool for policy development. Specifically, by investigating how a design action plan might influence the establishment of a circular economy in Scotland [R3], an exercise that had not previously been performed in the UK at either national or devolved levels. The research posited that for the implementation of effective policies and programmes for design, policy makers require insight into the design ecosystem to ensure all components of the system are operating cohesively. This cohesive engagement with all aspects of a system typically requires greater citizen interaction. Design brings particular processes for effective citizen engagement, including approaches for co-development. The lessons learned working with the Scottish government were later used to inform the implementation of the design ecosystem and other policy design approaches used with the Northern Ireland Innovation Lab [R4]. This work provided new insights into the ways in which the outcomes of the design ecosystems approach can be integrated into new and impactful policy development.
3. References to the research
Research Outputs
Four of the outputs below are published in recognised double-blind peer-reviewed journals [R1, R2, R3, R4]. [R1] was an output from AHRC award AH/L013606/1 (£39,849); [R2 & R4] were produced as outputs from AHRC award AH/P005934/1 (£557,935) while [R3 & R4] are further informed by AHRC Fellowship AH/P009263/1 (£160,908).
[R1] Whicher, A. (2017) Design Ecosystems and Innovation Policy in Europe, Strategic Design Research Journal 10(2), pp.117-125, doi: 10.4013/sdrj.2017.102.04.
[R2] Whicher A. & Walters A.T., (2017) Mapping Design for Innovation Policy in Wales and Scotland, The Design Journal, 20(1), pp. 109-129, ISSN 1756-3062, doi: 10.1080/14606925.2016.1233006.
[R3] Whicher, A., Harris, C., Beverley, K., and Swiatek, P. (2018) ‘Design for circular economy: Developing an action plan for Scotland’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, pp.3237-3248, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.11.009.
[R4] Whicher A. and Crick T., 2019 Co-design, evaluation and the Northern Ireland Innovation Lab, Public Money & Management, 39(4), pp. 290-299, doi: 10.1080/09540962.2019.1592920.
Grants
[1] Walters A. (PI) & Whicher A. (CoI), 2014, AHRC Grant: Mapping Design Innovation Ecosystems, £39,849, AH/L013606/1, https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FL013606%2F1
4. Details of the impact
Whicher and Walters’s Design Innovation Ecosystem research has impacted more than 2600 European SMEs [E1, E2], resulted in changes to seven European innovation policies [E1], and directly influenced €358,000,000 of structural fund provision [E3]. Their research enabled policy makers to make decisions on how to best support SMEs in their regions and how to allocate specific additional funding of €16,757,567 [E1, E2] with €14,036,796 going directly to SMEs to improve competitiveness.
PDR’s design ecosystems approach formed the central component of two EU funded impact programmes: ‘ Design 4 Innovation’ (Interreg Europe) and ‘ User Factor’ (Interreg Atlantic Area). Partners within these projects were responsible for policy development and business support. PDR’s role was to use research expertise to inform mechanisms to enhance innovation and appropriate policy in the partners’ regions.
‘Design 4 Innovation’ partnered: Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Belgium; Galician Agency of Innovation, Spain; Barcelona Design Centre, Spain; Investment and Development Agency of Latvia; Marshal's Office of Silesia Region, Poland; KEPA - Business and Cultural Development Centre, Greece; and, Valletta Cultural Agency, Malta. ‘User Factor’ partnered: Scottish Enterprise; Enterprise Ireland; Axencia Galega de Innovación, Spain; Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação CEFI S.A., Portugal; Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Région Bretagne, France; Department of Finance Northern Ireland; and, Asociación de Empresas Tecnológicas Innovalia, Spain. The quotes below demonstrate how project partners utilised Cardiff Met’s research to make policy decisions.
Head of the Creative Industries Division of the Ministry of Culture in Riga, Latvia reported: ‘Design 4 Innovation took a systemic approach to policy improvement, mapping and analysing the whole constellation of interrelated elements of design innovation ecosystems in our partner regions, such as support and funding initiatives, promotional activities, policy documents, education and research, main design services buyers, designers and users.’ [E6].
Valletta Design Cluster Manager at the Valletta Cultural Agency in Malta stated: ‘Mapping of the design ecosystem, carried out during the initial phase of the Design 4 Innovation Project, led to the Valletta Design Cluster reaching out, interacting, and for the first time in Malta, mapping the local design ecosystem. This also highlighted the key lacunas and the priorities for the sector, central among which is the lack of dedicated resources (both spatial, financial and expertise) and the weak networking currently existing between players in the sector.’ [E7].
These partnerships directly resulted in seven policy instrumentsFootnote:
Policy instruments are government interventions to meet the outcomes of a policy : (E1) The East Wales ERDF Operational Programme provided an additional €2,807,653Footnote:
All £ to € conversions based on exchange rate at 18 Jan 21 in design support to SMEs; (E2) Scottish Enterprise released the ‘By Design’ grant, distributing €3,469,143 for SMEs to spend on design; (E3) the Silesian regional government in Poland made €6,900,000 available to SMEs to spend on innovation activities; (E4) the Department of Finance of Regional Government of Galicia, Spain invested €310,000 for SME spending on innovation; (E5) the Spanish regional Ministry of Economy, Employment and Industry made an additional €505,000 investment; (E6) the Latvian Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities released €45,000 to SMEs for spending on innovation activities; and (E7) the Maltese Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business invested €2,720,771 in infrastructure to support the design industryFootnote:
Values totalled in the summary providing the figures of €16,757,567 with €14,036,796 directly funding SMEs . In each of these cases, the nature of the support and the specific activities receiving investment was developed because of the Design Innovation Ecosystem approach developed at Cardiff Met [E1, E2, E4, E5].
As a result of the above investments, more than 2600 companies across Europe are benefiting from increased spending on innovation activities to increase their competitiveness [E1, E2]. As an example, of the 618 Scottish companies which received the By Design grant, 117 responded to an impact evaluation survey, with 91% of respondents indicating that the support had directly led to the launch of a new product or service. These companies reported that they expected to achieve an average of £240,000 in additional sales over three years as a result of the support. Across the beneficiaries, this totals £134,971,200 of new sales of Scottish goods for a governmental investment of £3,090,000, a return of more than 4,000% to the tax payer [E2].
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
[E1] PR6, PGI02083 Design 4 Innovation, Accepted progress report to the European Union, submitted 3 June 2020: A formal report to the EU on the impact of the Design 4 Innovation project submitted as a requirement of the programme, this report demonstrates the changes and investments made by partners and their government representatives as a result of the project.
[E2] By Design Grant Evaluation - Research Report: this report, commissioned by Scottish Enterprise, demonstrates the impact of the SME Design Voucher scheme that was developed in response to a Design Innovation Ecosystems exercise with PDR.
[E3] Monitoring D4I Targets.xls (total value of instruments with where Design4Innovation has led to a change in policy): This spreadsheet monitors the range of targets the D4I programme was required to achieve, including tracking the total value of innovation policies upon which D4I impacted.
[E4] Design Voucher Programme launched in Latvia (2020), https://www.interregeurope.eu/design4innovation/news/news-article/8631/design-voucher-programme-launched-in-latvia/, accessed and archived 19.01.2021: This is an official EU news release demonstrating the impact of Design4Innovation on innovation support in Latvia.
[E5] New programme for design in Galicia (2019), https://www.interregeurope.eu/design4innovation/news/news-article/5453/new-programme-for-design-in-galicia/, accessed and archived 19.01.2021: This is an official EU news release demonstrating the impact of Design4Innovation on innovation support in Spain.
[E6] Quote from Head of the Creative Industries Division of the Ministry of Culture in Riga, Latvia, PR6, PGI02083 Design 4 Innovation, Accepted progress report to the European Union, submitted 3 June 2020: The quote in section 4 is taken from an official report to the EU (pg4), demonstrating that the Design Innovation Ecosystem approach developed at Cardiff Met directly links to the innovation investment within Latvia.
[E7] Quote from Valletta Design Cluster Manager at the Valletta Cultural Agency in Malta, PR5, PGI02083 Design 4 Innovation, Accepted progress report to the European Union, submitted 14 October 2019: The quote in section 4 is taken from an official report to the EU (pg22), demonstrating that the Design Innovation Ecosystem approach developed at Cardiff Met directly links to the innovation investment within Malta.
- Submitting institution
- Cardiff Metropolitan University / Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Technological
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Cardiff Met’s User Centred Design (UCD) research has influenced strategies, working practices and product ranges in 1,023 companies in sectors including engineering, medical devices and banking in the UK, Germany, Greece, Barbados, Ukraine and USA. For two companies, Kenwood and Allergan, it led to an additional £69 millionFootnote:
Calculated on 23/1/21 at the then exchange rates of $1 = £0.73 and €1 = £0.89 in sales with a further £950 million projected in the next 4 years. Service design changes for Principality Building Society and a public sector banking organisation (PSB) resulted in 3,000 new customer accounts and the transformation of the PSB’s organisational approach to innovation. Two KTPs generated growt h of £1.2 million per annum turnover, with a further £2.5 million growth projected by the industry partners.
2. Underpinning research
Cardiff Met’s User Centred Design (UCD) research dates back to 2002, when Gill and Loudon began investigating methods to enable early, low cost testing in the design of computer-embedded products such as mobile phones, cameras, washing machines and electronic medical devices [R1] [R2]. These products can be challenging to develop, as they require a range of skills including electronic engineering, computer programming, human-computer interaction and product design. This makes development time-consuming and costly, with the investment meaning companies are often reluctant to alter designs during the final stages of the design development process - typically the point at which user testing is employed. As a result, many potentially good products fail for want of in-depth understanding of product or service users. To address this short-coming, Gill and Loudon focussed on developing appropriate tools to allow computer-embedded products to be prototyped and trialled earlier and quicker during the design development process, at relatively lower cost, and using prototypes at appropriate fidelity levels to the stage of testing. Between 2002 and 2015, along with some of their PhD students and Research Assistants (Woolley, Culverhouse, Hare, Zampelis and Andrews) they developed a series of novel tools for product designers developing computer-embedded products by removing technical barriers and allowing them to build and test prototypes early in the design process. Over the years this research focus broadened towards a general exploration of the role of physical and virtual testing in UCD tools and processes. This included Watkins’s exploration of the prototype’s role in participatory design in developing world contexts [R3] and Gordon’s investigation into fidelity requirements of mixed reality ‘context of use’ user testing scenarios [R4].
In 2009, Cardiff Met’s International Centre for Design and Research (PDR) began their own exploration of the UCD research space, with Walters and Evans focussing on research into how to effectively implement user-centred design within a range of organisations and sectors [R5]. Concurrently, PDR began to employ UCD researchers within their commercial operations, including Woolley, Hare, Culverhouse and Andrews, bringing the University’s two UCD research streams together and collectively enabling the impacts described here. PDR research on accessible approaches highlighted the importance of scalability in addressing the differing needs and resource availability within a range of organisations. By 2011, a framework [R6] developed to meet these needs had been used both to assist manufacturing companies utilise a UCD development approach for their support services, and to build a network of organisations across Europe to understand how service design is implemented in the public sector. Our UCD researchers have since translated learning from that research into practical models for the private sector. This programme of research into methods of applying user centred design-led approaches in various contexts continues, for example in Cardiff Met’s Co-Investigator role (which includes Gill, Loudon, Evans and Walters) in the current £5.4m AHRC-funded Creative Clusters project, within which they work with the Creative Industries to stimulate R&D activity in the Cardiff Region.
3. References to the research
Two of the outputs below were returned in REF 2014 [R1], [R2]. Half are published in recognised double-blind peer-reviewed journals [R1], [R2] and [R6] and another is a UK patent [R3]. Research grants in the period of ~£7.8 million include major awards from the AHRC, EPSRC, MRC and H2020. A further ~£7.3 million in knowledge transfer grants and 11 design awards including 3 iF Awards, 2 Red Dot Awards, a Good Design Award and UCD research-rooted consultancy income of £3,132,061 provide further evidence of quality.
Gill, S. (2009) Six challenges facing user-oriented industrial design, The Design Journal, 12(1), pp. 41-67, DOI: 10.2752/175630609X391569.
Gill, S., Loudon, G., Walker, D. (2008) Designing a design tool: working with industry to create an information appliance design methodology, Journal of Design Research, 7(2), pp. 120-135, DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2008.020851
Hall, J. Gill, S., Loudon, G. and Watkins, C. (2018) ‘Brace’ UK Patent GB2556418 http://hdl.handle.net/10369/10220
Gordon, B., Loudon, G., Gill, S. and Baldwin, J. (2019) Product user testing: the void between Laboratory testing and Field testing , in the proceedings of International Association of Societies of Design Research Conference 2nd – 5th September, 2019, Manchester, UK http://hdl.handle.net/10369/10865
Walters A.T, Thurston P., Cawood G. (2013) User Centred Service Innovation: Are commercial interests preventing clients from maximising the value they get from service design research? Service Design with Theory, Miettinen S. & Valtonen A. (Eds.), Lapland University Press, Finland, ISBN 978-952-484-551-9, pp. 125 – 130
[R6] Wilkinson, C., Walters, A. & Evans, J., (2016), Creating and testing a model-driven framework for accessible user-centric design, The Design Journal, 19(1), pp. 69-91, DOI: 10.1080/14606925.2016.1109209
4. Details of the impact
Cardiff Met UCD research has engaged with over 1,000 [E1] companies and transformed practice in public and private sector organisations, increasing sales and revenue and leading to impacts around the world. For example, they have resulted in: increased product sales of tens of thousands of units [E2, E3]; increased sales revenue of at least £68,876,350 with forecast revenue of £950,332,500 over four years [E2, E3]; new banking services across 20 countries [E4, E5, E6]; 63,000 app downloads [E4, E3]; and 1023 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) introduced to UCD approaches [E1, E7, E8]. These impacts are now explained, evidenced and situated within 4 different areas.
*Example 1: Medical products . UCD research underpinned work for Allergan’s CoolSculpting division in California, which develops products employing an FDA-approved process for the non-surgical removal of body fat. Allergan expended £2.9m on PDR services, resulting in two major new product lines: ‘Cooltone’ in December 2019 and the ‘Coolsculpting Elite’ in January 2021. “These are the first of a series of products developed through our R&D and collaborative design work with PDR. To date we have seen sales of 900 units of Cooltone generating more than $70 million in revenue. Coolsculpting Elite and Cooltone are anticipated to generate sales in excess of $1.3 billion over the next 4 years” - **Senior Vice President, Product Development, Allergan [E2] . Meanwhile, Cardiff School of Art & Design in collaboration with Cardiff University Medical School developed a trauma pack for rural Zambia capable of deployment by untrained, illiterate users. Zambia was chosen because trauma caused by road traffic incidents cost up to 5% of the country’s GDP. Our pack is 80% cheaper than existing solutions with no drop in performance. Prototypes have been used to treat victims of a multi-car road traffic accident in Zambia [E9] and derivatives have been deployed by Namibian police [E10]. A patent was granted in 2016 [R2] and a manufacturing license signed [E11].
*Example 2: Financial services . Since 2015 PDR has used UCD methods rooted in research on 27 new service development projects for Principality Building Society. “PDR’s User Centred Design research has changed the way we think about our internal and external stakeholder engagement and product offering. Thanks to the insights PDR were able to bring we have developed two particular products in our Children’s proposition category, Dylan’s Saving Squad and Learner Earner. These have been a significant success, creating over 3,000 new children’s savings accounts and enabling many thousands of children to access a range of resources to learn about money and saving whilst having fun. In addition, the products and services have attracted thousands of supporting adults to engage with the Principality brand and become customers themselves or with potential to become customers of the future.” - Head of Customer Development, Principality Building Society [E4]. As a result of the successful product development projects with the Principality, PDR won a €300K tender with a proposal to provide User Centred Design Thinking services based on UCD tools and expertise for a Public Sector Banking Organisation (PSB). A further 12 contracts with the PSB embedded UCD approaches to changing the PSB’s internal organisation and the co-creation of new internet enabled communication processes [E5]. “PDR’s Design Thinking Services have been influential in changing how we at [PSB] approach innovation, assisting redevelopment of internal processes and communication/engagement with external and internal shareholders through contributions made to the development of the new portals." **Anonymous, Public Sector Banking Orgainsation [E6]
Example 3: Consumer products. UCD research has underpinned the development of consumer products in several companies. In 2015 Kenwood paid PDR £87,850 to develop a 10-year consumer product strategy. “PDR’s User Centred Design research gave Kenwood consumer insights we’d never had before, inspiring an entirely new direction in our product range and helping to ensure our products are relevant and desirable for consumers today and into the future.” Innovation Manager, Kenwood [E3]. PDR’s commercial opportunities report identified 24 significant top-level trends across 7 themes, providing in-depth insights into how people approach the contemporary cooking experience. This changed Kenwood’s product development strategy, leading them to embrace embedded computation for the first time. As a result of PDR’s recommendations, in 2018, the company launched the kCook Multi Smart Cooking Food Processor, an ‘Internet of Things’ computational cooking device controlled through the Kenwood World app. To date Kenwood has sold 28,000 kCooks at a value of €20 million . The Kenwood World app has been downloaded 63,000 times [E3].
*Example 4: Knowledge transfer . UCD researchers have engaged in knowledge transfer activities with 1023 companies in the period, winning 5 awards . Activities include a £5.4 million AHRC Creative Industries Cluster, 8 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), 2 Knowledge Transfer Centres and 4 other knowledge transfer projects. A KTP with ‘Window Cleaning Warehouse’ involved embedding UCD expertise to develop an aircraft cleaning product that would maintain a 3% aerodynamic performance gain without the environmental damage of existing systems which flush heavy metals from altitude into the airport’s groundwater. A new branch, 4 jobs and 60% growth (£1 million per annum turnover) were attributed to the KTP. “Since embarking on KTP, we have seen substantial growth which would never have taken place without the scheme. The KTP has been vital in developing our business for future growth.” **Owner, Window Cleaning Warehouse [E7] . In another KTP, UCD methods were embedded in ‘Odoni-Elwell’ (a cycle storage modular building manufacturer) to improve their product range and productivity. The company directly attributed growth of £180,000 per annum turnover. “The KTP fundamentally changed our business, bolstering existing capabilities and adding new ones. We're now both equipped and confident in our ability to meet the challenges of the 21st century head on.” Operations Management, Odoni-Elwell [E8].
In summary, Cardiff Met’s UCD research has underpinned significant impact for thousands of companies, creating jobs, £ millions of turnover in companies of all sizes and driven culture change in organisations as diverse as manufacturing and banking. It has also resulted in a manufacturing license for a revolutionary trauma pack, prototypes of which have already been deployed in sub-Saharan Africa.
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
Corroborating evidence of engagement with 1,021 companies.
Testimonial from Senior VP, Product Development, Allergan about PDR’s impact on their business.
Testimonial from Innovation Manager, Kenwood about the business impact of PDR’s input.
Testimonial from Head of Customer Development, Principality about the business impact of PDR’s input.
Confidential Report showing PDR’s impact on public sector banking.
Testimonial from Anonymous, Public Sector Banking Organisation detailing PDR’s impact on their internal processes and communication / engagement with external and internal shareholders.
Partners Final KTP Report: Window Cleaning Warehouse detailing impact of the project on their business.
Partners Final KTP Report: Odoni Elwell detailing impact of the project on their business.
Testimonial evidence of use of Cardiff Trauma Pack being used in Zambia.
Paper showing Namibian police being trained to use Cardiff Trauma Pack.
[E11] Manufacturing agreement for manufacture and distribution of Cardiff Trauma Pack.
- Submitting institution
- Cardiff Metropolitan University / Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
A £424k AHRC-funded research project led by Cardiff Met’s School of Art & Design into the therapeutic value of playful objects led to the production of guidelines on designing for people with advanced dementia, with information distributed by both Alzheimer’s UK and Care England. It also resulted in the HUG™, an artefact that improves the quality of life of people affected by advanced dementia. A six-month trial funded by £185K from Welsh Government found it improved wellbeing for 87% of participants. As a result, HUG™ is now prescribed on the NHS. Its success has led to significant media attention and the UK Tech4Good Winner of Winners’ award 2020. National and international demand from Health Boards, care homes and the general public followed. As a result, a spin-out company was launched in 2020, backed by over £105K investment capital from sources including a Crowd Funding campaign and the UK Alzheimer’s Society.
2. Underpinning research
The research into wellbeing described here dates from 2012 when Treadaway was co-Investigator on two Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Connected Communities research projects [a] [b]. This work identified the significance and benefit of creative participatory approaches to design research, and the importance of playfulness, creativity, hand-use and touch to wellbeing. The work also informed subsequent funded dementia design research [c] [d] investigating ways to support wellbeing through playful objects [R1] [R2] [R3].
In 2015, Treadaway was Principal Investigator and Walters was Co-Investigator of the £424k AHRC-funded LAUGH project [e], which included funding for a Research Assistant post, filled by Fennell (later a Research Fellow). LAUGH involved developing and testing prototype designs for six playful objects (made by Treadaway, Taylor and Fennell) for people living with advanced dementia [R4] [R5]. One of its key findings was that in the moment experience that is playful and engages the senses is very beneficial to the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Findings also indicated the potential for these six objects to assist in care, support wellbeing, improve mood and positively impact health. One particular object, HUG™ (a long armed, soft cushion-like, wearable object that contains a beating heart and plays music) was found to have a particularly significant impact on the wellbeing of Thelma, the person for whom it was made. Her professional carers contended that the HUG™ ‘transformed ’ and ‘prolonged her life’.
Significantly, the research also led to the development of a new methodology by Treadaway called ‘Compassionate Design’ [R4][R5][R6], which highlights sensory stimulation, personalisation and connection with things and other people as fundamental in designing for the wellbeing of people living with advanced dementia. Prior to this development, there had been little specific guidance available to the design industry on addressing the needs of those in the advanced stages of the disease.
In 2018, the team were awarded £185k Welsh Government Smart Expertise Funding [f] to conduct a large-scale field trial to evaluate the efficacy of HUG™. Between May 2019 and May 2020, HUGs were evaluated with twenty people with advanced dementia residing in the dementia unit of the Sunrise Senior Living residential care home. The details of the results and impact are presented in Section 4 below. A further trial is currently underway in collaboration with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board with twenty NHS hospital patients.
3. References to the research
All six of the outputs here are included in our REF 2021 submission, five are published in recognised double-blind peer-reviewed journals [R1] [R2] [R3], [R5] and [R6]. Research grants in the period of over £800K including a major AHRC award and 2 design awards provide further evidence of research quality.
Publications
[R1] Treadaway, C. & Kenning, G. (2016) Sensor e-Textiles: Person centered co-design for people with late stage dementia. Working with Older People Journal, 20(2), pp. 76-85. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-09-2015-0022
[R2] Kenning, G. and Treadaway, C. (2017) Conversations at the edge of play, Continuum Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 31(6), pp. 868-880. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2017.1370075
[R3] Kenning, G. and Treadaway, C. (2018) Designing for dementia: Iterative grief and transitional objects, Design Issues, 34(1), pp. 42-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1162/DESI_a_00475
[R4] Treadaway, C., Fennell, J., Prytherch, D., Kenning, G. and Walters, A. (2018) Designing for well-being in late stage dementia, in Coles, R., Costa, S. and Watson, S. (Ed.s), Pathways to Well-being in design: Examples from the arts, humanities and the built environment, London: Routledge. ISBN: 9780815346951
[R5] Treadaway, C., Fennell, J., Taylor A. and Kenning G. (2019) Designing for playfulness through compassion: Design for advanced dementia, Design for Health, 3(1), pp. 27-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/24735132.2019.1593295
[R6] Treadaway, C., Taylor, A. & J. Fennell (2019) Compassionate design for dementia care, International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 7(3), pp. 144-157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21650349.2018.1501280
Funding (total £836,487)
2012: AHRC Connected Communities (£40,000) – Permission to Play (University of Strathclyde). Rogerson
2012: AHRC Connected Communities (£40,000) – Hidden Connections, Shared Environments and Environmental Flows (Birmingham City University). Prytherch
2013: Research Innovation Award (RIA) (£53,000) Cardiff Metropolitan University. Treadaway
2015: Cardiff Metropolitan University Funding (£14,000) Sensor e-Textiles. Treadaway
2015-2018: AHRC Standard Grant (£424,000) LAUGH: Ludic Artefacts Using Gesture and Haptics. Treadaway
2018-2020: Welsh Government Smart Expertise (£185,212)
2020: Alzheimer’s Society, Business Investment for Spin-Out business (£61,700)
[h] 2020: Crowd Funding for Spin-Out business (£18,575)
4. Details of the impact
It is estimated that over 900,000 older people in the UK have dementia and this will increase to over 1.2 million by 2030 [E1]. The assumed trajectory of a person with a neurodegenerative disease is reduced activity and limited cognitive response. More specifically, for people with dementia a trajectory of ‘no change’ over a six-month evaluation period is generally perceived as positive. In contrast, the findings of HUG™ field trials at Sunrise Senior Living showed improvement in a range of dementia outcomes: A Bradford Dementia Well-being Profile and Pool Activity Level Instrument was completed at baseline, 3 and 6 months to identify changes in cognitive function and demonstrated that 87% of residents using a HUG™ for six months experienced an improvement in their wellbeing and some increased functional and cognitive ability [E2]. These findings were further supported by qualitative feedback gained from interviews with the family members and care staff of people involved in the trial:
Dementia Nurse Consultant DUETcare:
Reminiscence Co-ordinator, Sunrise Senior Living:
A daughter on her mother’s response to HUG:
“She finds it very comforting. I’m not sure what her perception is. I know she talks to it, and she kisses the head and she strokes it … she absolutely loves it. Honestly when I saw her with it the first time, I cried, cos she was getting so much comfort from it and I just can’t praise it enough”.
In October 2019, the BBC produced a short film [E3] about HUG™, featuring an interview with someone living with dementia and her daughter. The daughter stated:
“The thought of your loved one kind of slipping away and maybe just slipping away for good is just terrifying. So to see her actually coming back is just amazing. It’s just brilliant….The HUG, I don’t know what it is, but it has kind of brought her (Mum) back again. The recognition, the smiles, the happiness seems to have come back.”
Three days after broadcast the film had gained 178,260 ‘likes’ on Facebook and 410 ‘shares’, while 26 health boards and 44 care homes had asked to purchase the HUG™. There were also 74 enquiries from the public, with requests from as far afield as The Netherlands, Iceland, South Africa, Belgium, France, Canada, Singapore and Australia. An additional 22 requests for more information were received from people living with other medical and behavioural conditions affecting people of all ages, such as autism, chronic fatigue and depression.
In March 2020, interest in HUG™ led to a spin-out company (HUG by LAUGH) [E4] being set up to manufacture and sell HUG™, creating three new jobs. Investment capital of £105,275 was raised from three sources: Alzheimer’s Society UK contributed £61,700 through their Accelerator Programme [g] which ‘invests in innovations to improve the lives of people affected by dementia’, a Crowd Funding campaign raised £18,575 from 196 supporters [E5], and Cardiff Met invested £25,000. One of the Accelerator Award judges commented: “This sweet, simple and effective product touches the heart, very tactile and believable. What greater feeling is there than receiving a hug?”
HUG™ is now being prescribed on the NHS to people living with cognitive impairment. In September 2020, the research team won both the People’s Award and the ‘Winner of Winners’ award at the UK Tech4Good Awards [E6].
A Compassionate Design methodology book providing guidelines on designing for the wellbeing of people living with advanced dementia was launched in March 2018 at the Royal Society of Arts in London and information on it was distributed by both the Alzheimer’s Society UK [E7][E8] and Care England . As a result, LAUGH research is included on the Social Care Institute for Excellence website [E9] as an example of good practice for the care industry. The methodology is also taught to design and Human Computer Interaction students at Cardiff Met, Swansea University, the University of the West of England, and the University of Technology Sydney.
In summary, Treadaway’s team’s research has had significant impact on the quality of life of older people living with advanced dementia and care practice. It has raised dementia awareness and provided guidelines for the design industry on how to address the needs of people living with advanced dementia. A spin-out business has made the HUG™ available, nationally and internationally.
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
[E1] Wittenberg R, Hu B, Barraza‐Araiza L, Rehill A. (2019) Projections of Older People with Dementia and Costs of Dementia Care in the United Kingdom, 2019‐2040. London, England: Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, pp. 1‐79, highlighting the number of people in the UK with dementia https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-11/cpec_report_november_2019.pdf
[E2] Treadaway, C., Pool, J. and Johnson, A. (2020) Sometimes a HUG is all you need, Journal of Dementia Care, November/December, 28(6), pp. 32-34, providing evidence of research findings that the HUG improved wellbeing for 87% of participants..
[E3] BBC Film: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50237366 , showing how the HUG is used as well as reflections of its impact from interviewees.
[E4] Spin-out company website: https://hug.world/, highlighting that a spin-out company has been formed.
[E5] Crowd Funding: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/hug-by-laugh-1, confirming that funding has been raised through crowd funding.
[E6] UK Tech4Good Awards: https://www.tech4goodawards.com/2020/winners-revealed/, confirming that the HUG won the Tech4Good People’s award.
[E7] Dementia Knowledge Centre (DKC) E-Bulletin – confirming evidence of dissemination of the Compassionate Design methodology to Alzheimer’s Society members.
[E8] Email from Knowledge Officer, Alzheimer’s Society confirming distribution of Compassionate Design methodology to Alzheimer’s Society members.
[E9] Research recognised, recommended and disseminated to the public on the Social Care Institute for Excellence website:
- https://www.scie.org.uk/prevention/research-practice/getdetailedresultbyid?id=a110f00000NXsByAAL, confirming the LAUGH research is included on the Social Care Institute for Excellence website.