An inclusive design spiral framework was used in the development of our research design. We were able to complete phases A, B and C remotely without facing too many challenges apart from not being able to visit the hospital environment in person. However, we did find participant recruitment somewhat challenging due to our recruitment criteria. Furthermore, it was challenging connecting with a health care professional in Ontario.

Prototyping and the iterative process in phase D was a little more challenging working remotely as our participant was an older senior with some mobility issues and minimal technical skills. To work around these challenges we ensured we had tech support available for the participants during co-design sessions and our research team supported by adding the post-it notes, comments and room elements based on the participant’s comments and directions. We also made sure to keep the language simple and easy to understand and allowed enough time for the participants to think and answer questions on their own time.

It was really great and validating to have our initial prototype ideas verified in the co-design sessions. This gave us the confidence that we were on the right path with understanding the problem space.