The use of design methods and approaches in the context of mental health to explore experiences and develop interventions is an emerging field. However, the value of participatory and co-design approaches are becoming increasingly recognised in wider health and care research.

In this presentation we illustrate the elements of our Design Innovation process through a project that aimed to understand the landscape of mental health services in Scotland towards identifying preferable forms of support and opportunities for digital interventions, from the perspectives of people, families, carers and service providers.

We propose that the design and development of technology for mental health must be situated within the wider landscape of health, social care and wellbeing systems and services; with a holistic understanding of the wider ‘cultural’ aspects involved including practices, processes, mindsets and behaviours. It is only by recognising these wider factors across the design journey and involving people throughout the process that we can meaningfully integrate technology to enhance our care interactions and experiences.

We conclude that the way in which we design and deploy technology in the context of mental health needs a collective, integrated approach to ensure that innovation is person-led and driven by needs, choice and aspirations for care.