Design Thinking as a Participatory Research Method to Protect Endangered Species: A Citizen Science Application

Liz Foote; Sharyn Rundle-Thiele; Cathryn Dexter; Elizabeth Brunton; Katrin Hohwieler; Tori Seydel; Romane Cristescu

doi:10.1177/16094069251360314

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Design Thinking as a Participatory Research Method to Protect Endangered Species: A Citizen Science Application

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Design Thinking as a Participatory Research Method to Protect Endangered Species: A Citizen Science Application

Liz Foote, Sharyn Rundle-Thiele, Cathryn Dexter, Elizabeth Brunton, Katrin Hohwieler, Tori Seydel and Romane Cristescu

International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Vol.24, pp.1-21

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251360314

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Abstract

citizen science

design thinking

participatory research

community science

community engagement

koalas

koala conservation

participatory science

During the past two decades across New South Wales and Queensland, koala populations have been in steep decline. Despite being nationally listed as Endangered in 2022, populations have not been stabilised and threats to the long-term survival of koalas remain. Climate change predictions suggest that human-occupied coastal habitats may offer greater protection to koalas from natural disasters such as drought and wildfires, presenting a role for people to play in koala conservation. However, the design of conservation programs is rarely informed by the affected audiences themselves, lowering their probability for success. Acknowledging the need to centre approaches on people who don’t typically think about conservation, this study applied the 5-step design thinking process, a participatory research method focused on driving innovation. A one-day design thinking workshop was conducted in September 2024. Seven design teams were formed and tasked with developing an initiative to support the reporting of koala sightings through citizen science. Each team included participants with diverse experience and expertise, ensuring balanced representation across roles. During the design process, teams received feedback from a citizen jury before presenting final pitches. Citizen jurors were individuals with no prior experience in citizen science or koala conservation. Every participant was given a budget to invest in their favourite design. The top three citizen science program concepts featured customised apps with functionality such as auto-recording koalas, sharing information with other users, and fostering social connectivity. The juries’ selections focused on business partnerships, incentives, and tailored information for users. Notably, the jury selections did not overlap with the top three designs chosen by workshop participants. The inclusion of a citizen jury in a one-day design thinking workshop is a novel contribution. The utility of design thinking as a participatory method is discussed alongside the study’s limitations, offering avenues for future research.

Details

Title: Design Thinking as a Participatory Research Method to Protect Endangered Species: A Citizen Science Application
Authors: Liz Foote (Corresponding Author) - Griffith University
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele - Griffith University
Cathryn Dexter - Redland City Council
Elizabeth Brunton - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Katrin Hohwieler - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Tori Seydel - Griffith University
Romane Cristescu - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Publication details: International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Vol.24, pp.1-21
Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd.
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1177/16094069251360314
ISSN: 1609-4069
Copyright note: © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Data Availability: Data can be made available on request.
Grant note: Social Marketing @ Griffith funded Dr. Liz Foote’s fellowship and funded citizen jury recruitment, incentives and catering for the design thinking workshop.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991147211202621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary