Design for healthy horizons in a local community digital relations in a neighbourhood with health challenges

Abstract

Communities and social support are considered to be important for people's ability to cultivate a healthy lifestyle. Yet, digital technology for everyday health predominantly focuses on individual use and performance optimisation. In this paper, we present how we have designed a mobile application to support community collaboration around health based on a conceptual model aiming at bringing a horizon of connectedness with health to residents in a local community. The research is conducted as a long-term participatory design process in a neighbourhood with low socio-economic status and significant health challenges. We introduce a community perspective on everyday health and the co-designed application focused on local collaboration around physical activity. Via workshops with residents and community workers, we critically examine opportunities and challenges for the application's ability to form a horizon and facilitate community collaboration around health in the neighbourhood.