CO-DESIGN AND SERVICE-USER EXPERIENCE


Drawn together through ‘lived experience’


Stephen Parker, an architect and behavioural health planner at Stantec in the Washington, DC region, and Shahad Niyazi Sadeq, an architectural designer, and Executive Director at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Springfield chapter, explain how, having both experienced mental health challenges personally or through family, and being introduced through mutual colleagues, they were ‘drawn to sketching as a designer’s preferred medium for defining problems and driving solutions with pen and paper’. The experience granted them ‘a sense of agency in an otherwise distressing time’, and here they tell their stories, and reflect on the negative impact of poor design and service-use settings on recovery.


“Often crisis and trauma leave one paralysed to move forward in recovery, and they have a similar effect on friends and family witnessing a loved one go through an often misunderstood and stigmatised psychological suffering,” explained Stephen Parker. “Both Shahad and I came to collaborate with our DrawnOut! Mental Health Sketch Workshops after being introduced through mutual colleagues that recognised our interest in mental health and design. We were drawn – pun intended – to sketching as a designer’s preferred medium for defining problems and driving solutions with pen and paper.”


l Shahad’s story “In my view,” said Shahad Niyazi Sadeq, “the world of behavioural health facilities, and those in charge of designing and constructing them, often grapple with a lack of first-hand experience – of lived experience. Our journey involves a deliberate exercise in empathy, as we draw upon borrowed perspectives to develop solutions for voices we may never have access to. Transitioning from a designer with a voice, to one rendered voiceless, presents an intriguing opportunity, suddenly granting access to a nuanced vocabulary of descriptions that might have remained elusive. “Sharing this narrative isn’t just


about my journey; it’s a call to action for fellow designers to articulate their own experiences. The acknowledgment is that my struggles are not unique; many designers, like me, entered these spaces seeking healing, only to confront complexities beyond what they bargained for.


A litmus test for institutions “The onset of COVID-19 served as a litmus test for institutions, especially in healthcare. The surge in mental health crisis patients, and staggering rates of suicide, are prompting us to re- evaluate behavioural health clinic design. Conceived without the foresight of quarantine lockdown ramifications, these spaces require a comprehensive re-think in staff and patient resource management.


28 FEBRUARY 2024 | THE NETWORK


While staffing and training decisions are beyond our control, as designers, we can address these challenges with our clients. Our role extends beyond design intent; we can advocate for holistic health implementation, shaping both the initial conceptualisation and utilisation of spaces to foster healing environments. The current landscape prompts reflection on how we, as designers, can proactively ease future stressors, contributing to the broader conversation on advancing


mental health infrastructure. “When I hit rock bottom in February


2021, my friend’s promise to be there for me became a lifeline. I reached out, on the verge of giving up, but she pushed me to seek help. Despite an approaching deadline that once fuelled my despair, my friend noticed my struggles and took me to the emergency room. There, confronted with a doctor’s probing questions about my suicidal thoughts, I looked directly into his eyes and lied, denying any suicidal intentions. I was determined to avoid involuntary commitment to a psychiatric ward because I had a looming project deadline. However, several days later, swayed by the concern of my friend and co-worker, I reluctantly found myself at Carleton Springs, where I anxiously shivered in the intake lounge. “Amid the weight of despair, I realised the extent of anxiety and hopelessness


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