Sustainable user involvement: building a user community

The new English-language book, 'Meeting the Inclusion Challenge in Innovation: Giving Voice to Users', gathers insights on how to engage users in research and innovation. LiCalab contributed a chapter detailing our experience in building and supporting a user panel and conducting high-quality living lab research, using the Welgerust project as an example.

In this chapter, we share our expertise in user panel management and conducting robust living lab research. The chapter specifically focuses on:

• Establishing and maintaining a sustainable user panel over time;
• Recruiting participants for end-user research, including examples of participant diversity and desired numbers for various activities;
• Designing and conducting high-quality user research, with a focus on creating effective protocols, addressing ethical considerations, and fostering cross-boundary collaboration.

This approach is illustrated through the case study Welgerust. The study began by identifying a specific healthcare challenge: sleep problems. This led to the development of two innovations, including the moonbird, and the establishment of a non-profit organization.