Dr Remi Bec PhD, MA, BA (Hons)

Design Researcher

• Art Design and Media Research Centre

Summary

I studied model making and interior design in France and switched to product design when I moved to the UK. I studied at Sheffield Hallam University and graduated with a Master’s and a PhD in Design, during which time I was part of the User-Centred Healthcare Design team (UCHD) which was part the Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South Yorkshire (CLAHRCs) funded by the of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). 

I have recently been seconded to the Translating Knowledge to Action team (TK2A - part of the second round of CLAHRC Yorkshire & Humber) where I was the design researcher lead based in the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. I am now returning to the design office at Sheffield Hallam University within the Lab4Living and I am excited to the prospect of working on the E3 project looking at the 100 Years and the Future Homes, and funded by the Research England's Expanding Excellence in England.

My research explored the use of games to promote engagement and behaviour change. I have co-developed, prototyped and evaluated iteratively Boost Up!, a board and card game that aims to promote physical activity. Since implementation is a crucial aspect for me, I have incorporated Boost Up! as part of a wider service delivery which is offered by a social enterprise I have created: GoFit4Fun CIC, a Community Interest Company. I have explored various ways to find financial support for the development of this new adventure, which allowed for the development of a website and enabled me to conduct a pilot study that will be implemented in two stages throughout 2019 and 2020. The games were also used within the research process to engage participants and encourage different thinking (eg. Dice, role play, actual games, sometimes hacked for the purpose). 

My role within Lab4Living and the service I offer as a freelance design researcher - consists of applying design thinking and skills to help utilise research knowledge to improve healthcare services. To do so, I have gained numerous knowledge and skills in planning and driving workshops with diverse stakeholders. I have worked with a range of stakeholders including healthcare staff (clinicians, nurses, physio, GPs, psychologists), commissioners, students, people living with COPD, diabetes, stroke survivors, people with mental illness, learning disabilities, children… Giving service users a voice by involving them in the co-design process is important. It is also crucial that the insights and/or ideas coming from end-users are taken into consideration throughout the design development process since giving time and a voice to everyone through making ideas tangible (e.g. prototyping) is a way to develop trust.

 Furthermore, applying methods to all participants regardless of their role (e.g. patients and consultants) is a way to levelling the power in the room. Such visual methods support people who may have otherwise struggled to contribute and engage fully in workshops, which seem to increase the quality of the outcomes. This video illustrates our thinking and this case study book shows a selection of project we have been working on.