Examining the Quality of Connection & Care Within Teletherapy
// DESIGN RESEARCH | PUBLICATION DESIGN
This research project explores how nuances of care and connection in therapy is translated digitally. With advancing technology, we looked into the qualities that stay integral to the experience moving forward.
// OPPORTUNITY
The Nuances of Teletherapy
Teletherapy has been growing in popularity post pandemic as an accessible and convenient mode of receiving therapy. We established in our secondary research that it can be as effective as in-person, however there was ambiguity in the emotional connection within the care relationship digitally. But exactly why?
// FIELD RESEARCH
Conducting Interviews
Through snowball sampling, we sent out a short screener survey to find patients and therapists who have had experience with teletherapy. We were able to meet with nine participants in total. (6 patients and 3 therapists)
We conducted 45–60 minute interviews with embedded directed-storytelling questions and a card sort activity. While we were able to directly ask questions in the interview, the card sort fostered interesting conversations around expectations in care that we wouldn't have been able to reveal otherwise.
Online Interview—Card Sort Activity
In-person Interview—Card Sort Activity
// DESIGN CONCEPTS
Solutions & Probes
All of our ideation ended up exploring the aspects of what makes the relationship feel "real"—physical presence, vulnerability, empathy, perception, shared experiences—through the lens of design solutions or probes.
We chose 9 concepts to present for feedback.
// FEEDBACK
Concept Revisions
The 3 participants we reached out to were chosen due to the outlying perspectives they initially shared. This was important to us as we wanted to emphasize that the aspects we found to make the digital therapeutic relationship feel "real" were unique to each individual.
After the sessions, we synthesized our findings to choose concepts to further revise.
02: PATIENT GUIDELINES
We developed this design solution as it provided the most tangible feedback. As this idea was more genuine, we were able to better understand the desires surrounding current care and technology in the relationship.
02: AR BREATHING EXCERSISE
This concept combined 2 ideas after feedback to incorporate the pros of each. Participants appreciated technology that was secondary to the therapeutic care.
03: HELPING HAND
This probe was successful at fostering conversation surrounding unsuccessful uses of technology. It's revision aims to explore how we might present a speculative probe in more detail moving forward.
// WORKBOOK & PRESENTATION
Final Stretch
Our final deliverables were a 60 page workbook documenting our research and speculative sketches, as well as a 5–minute presentation.
// REFLECTION
Examining the Quality of Connection & Care Within Teletherapy
Next Steps:
With more time I would revisit ideation to come up with concepts that are more intentional with the idea of "realness" in digital interactions. The concepts we initially came up with didn't have much constraint, so they ended up being quite broad. Being more intentional with how they're presented, from the illustrations to the descriptions, are also something to keep in mind.
Takeaways:
I'm very grateful for how much I learned in this project. We haven't had a research-focused class, so using my brain in this way for 3 months has been a journey. Being able to spend this much time truly honing in on the needs of this problem space was challenging but really reiterated the importance of empathizing with your audience.
I would not have been able to be so proud of this project without my team, 'Kid Congee', the wonderful mentorship of our professor, Audrey, and our very supportive classmates. Thank you!!
