Transdisciplinary Research & Design

Research Vision

Today's big challenges need a ‘transdisciplinary’ approach: a team effort involving many different scientists and partners from society. But because these problems are so diverse—covering different topics, domains, and stakeholders—projects often struggle to find effective methods for organizing their work. The cluster wants to develop such methods, using the perspective of design.

As a first step, the cluster is gathering experiences from past health-oriented transdisciplinary projects carried out by ID staff. Here, the focus lies on the methods rather than the end results that people usually remember once a project is completed. In addition, the cluster is taking a close look at itself and its partner networks through in-depth interviews to learn lessons from ongoing and completed projects. The resulting knowledge and tools will form the foundation of the cluster’s ultimate goal: the Eindhoven guide on transdisciplinary design research. This guide will be a living document serving as a repository of valuable experiences and will eventually provide a toolset that design-driven transdisciplinary teams can use to bring about meaningful societal change.

Research Identity

ID has longstanding knowledge and skills in addressing complex challenges. All staff have experience in integrating methods, theories, and tools from different disciplines to support project work and transdisciplinary collaborations. Through a network of various academic departments, health organizations and industrial partners, the cluster applies its experience in offering design in transdisciplinary settings, such as for dementia, rehabilitation, autism and the office context.

Cluster members took part in setting up the Expertise Center for Dementia and Technology (ECDT). The ECDT is a collaboration of scientific and societal partners, including the TU/e and Alzheimer Nederland. The ECDT develops and promotes ‘Warm Technology’, a design approach where new technology and services are developed with, rather than for, dementia patients and their relatives.  

In collaboration with Fontys and Rondom Podotherapeuten (a large primary care organization in the Netherlands), the cluster has designed an eHealth application for people at risk of foot infections due to diabetes. The cluster conducted participatory design processes with all stakeholders, focusing on the variable needs, capabilities and social context of patients and caregivers.