Workshops Seminars

Our workshop will guide attendees through best practices to engage people with lived experience throughout different stages of designing projects, whether planning proposals, facilities, pre-design, workforce inclusion, operations, and so much more. The audience will leave with tools to set the stage and hand the mic to people with lived experiences to amplify their voice at the table. Learn how to establish project language, create and use instruments for feedback, encourage the opportunity for expanding one’s voice, and support the shift of mental health in design throughout all project stages.

This roundtable will mark the 10th edition of the Design With People in Mind (DWPIM) booklets published by Design in Mental Health Network. The booklets summarise key evidence in themed areas around mental health settings, ranging from nature and sound to informed choices and art. In this roundtable, the members of the Research and Education work stream will discuss the current DWPIM booklet, which describes the key evidence around 'good design practices' within inpatient mental health environments and reflect upon the series as a whole.

Some the themes which will be discussed will include: What does the core evidence tell us about what 'good' design looks like? How can we best describe the 'lived experience' of inpatient care? What should come next for stakeholder engagement in designing for mental heath? How can we create a better dialogue between research knowledge and practitioner knowledge around inpatient design?

The roundtable will also serve as the formal launch of the 10th edition of DWPIM and will be supported by the distribution and promotion of the booklet across the conference.

The speakers for the roundtable will include: Prof Steven Brown; Katharine Lazenby; Prof Paula Reavey; Dr Paul Hanna

The session will consist of four short sets of introductory comments by the speakers (8 mins approx each) followed by around 25 mins of questions and discussion with the audience.

In this interactive workshop, we will explore the principles of neurodiverse-inclusive design.
The workshop will begin with a 20-minute presentation introducing neurodiversity. We will cover fundamental design principles, including sensory zoning, wayfinding, acoustics, lighting, and colour schemes, as well as more advanced strategies for creating environments that reduce stress and enhance comfort for neurodivergent users.
Following the presentation, participants will engage in a 30-minute hands-on design activity. Working in groups, they will be given a partial floor plan and tasked with designing the missing section for their assigned user group e.g. overwhelmed staff in a hospital or community members in distress. This exercise will focus on the spatial layout but also considerations for interior finishes, textures, lighting, and other sensory features. Our facilitators will circulate among the groups, offering guidance and feedback as participants develop their designs.
To add an extra layer of challenge, the floor plans provided to participants will intentionally contain some common inclusive design mistakes. As part of the exercise, participants will be encouraged not only to complete the missing sections of the design but also to identify and suggest improvements for these intentional errors. This element aims to sharpen their critical thinking skills and reinforce their ability to spot potential barriers to inclusion, ensuring that their designs are truly neurodiverse-friendly.
The workshop will conclude with a review session where groups will present their designs, highlighting how they applied neurodiverse-inclusive principles. This review will provide an opportunity for peer learning and constructive feedback, reinforcing the concepts covered during the session.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to create neurodiverse-friendly spaces, equipped with practical strategies they can apply to future projects. By blending theory with hands-on experience, this workshop aims to ensure that the knowledge gained is both engaging and memorable.

Summary of the workshop:
The workshop will show which design components are necessary to create a healthy and healing environment that has a positive impact on the behaviour and well-being of people with mental health problems and/or complex disabilities.
In addition, the workshop will show what processes and steps are necessary to create a healthy environment in collaboration between users and designers.
Using a concrete example, the participants will practice the ‘real’ case, from user analysis to the design of the living environment of people with mental and behavioural problems.

Structure of the workshop:
- Introduction to the topic
- Short lecture with practical implications and examples
- Introduction to group assignment
- Self-guided exercise
- Explanation of final assignment
- Concrete example: the participants will practice the ‘real’ case, from user analysis to the design of the living environment of people with mental and behavioural problems
- Short presentation of final assignment
- Group reflection and active participation