Our Research Approach
Gender-Informed
Women are not small men, yet all current guidance fails to differentiate between them. Recent research shows that women could be more vulnerable to concussions and experience longer recovery times. Our gender-informed approach puts this research into action to protect the brains of all athletes.
While ‘gender’ is acknowledged as a multifaceted, socially constructed concept that evolves over time, ‘sex’ pertains to one's biological categorisation - 'male' or 'female'. We acknowledge the interconnectedness of medical and social influences and through this lens, advocate for inclusive language, using gender terms. This allows recipients to interpret our work in ways that resonate with their identity and lived experiences.
Holistic
We view recovery as a multifaceted experience, which traverses biological and social boundaries. We aim to dismantle barriers erected by medical reductionism – such as technical jargon and the dismissal of women’s health in research – which construct inequalities and gate-keep medical understanding. The holistic elements of our research and design include social support networks, maintaining a positive mindset, nutrition, the menstrual cycle, and academic support, amongst other things.
User Centred
Unpacking androcentric biases embedded in medical research, we challenged the predominant use of reductionist, quantitative data dominating this space. Our methods focus on gathering qualitative data, centring individual experiences and upholding the ‘marginal’ user.
Our Research Team
We are an interdisciplinary group of three women with diverse academic backgrounds.
Having met at the University of Bristol’s school of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we all have experience in design systems thinking and human-centred design methods across various industries. Our backgrounds traverse medical/ social anthropology, geography, graphic design, and quantitative and qualitative data.
Holistic
Illness, injury and recovery are multifaceted experiences which traverse social and biological boundaries. We design holistic healthcare solutions with cultural sensitivity.
Novel Techniques
We aim to create social change by producing new knowledge through novel methods and techniques
Feminist Methodology
We use feminist research methods to unpack bias in medical research and uphold marginal users in the design of healthcare.
Qualitative Data
We advocate for the use of qualitative data (with quantitative data) in research to challenge assumptions, unpack bias and to improve minority representation.
User-Centred
We believe a multi-method, user-centred approach to medical research is essential to improve the experiences of those in need of healthcare.
Project-Specific
We design project-specific methods that are engaging, effective, and promote equitable health outcomes.