Co-designing wellbeing for rangitahi
The challenge
Living a healthy life can be hard for many, but for rangatahi living with psychosis, those challenges are amplified. This is due to the side effects of antipsychotic medication, the symptoms of psychosis itself, and the stigma that surrounds it. All of these factors can make it harder to maintain an active and a healthy diet.
This was the impetus for creating the Te Hekenga Whaiora | Moving with Psychosis’ project in 2020. Founded by researchers Matt Jenkins (University of Otago) and Victoria Chinn (Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington), the project was grounded in one key idea: that the lived experiences of people with psychosis should sit at the centre of the work.
Since then, the project has grown into a multidisciplinary team from across Aotearoa New Zealand, with experts spanning health, psychology, design, and the arts. They all work alongside people with lived experience to support health and wellbeing through movement, creativity, and connection.
StudioC were invited to help design and facilitate the co-design components of the Te Hekenga Whaiora pilot programme, creating visual tools, workshops, and participant resources that would empower both facilitators and rangatahi to shape the journey together.
Our solution
We began by delivering an initial co-design workshop for programme facilitators. This was a space for collaboration, relationship-building, and shared learning. The session encouraged open kōrero around how best to support physical wellbeing for people living with psychosis, plus helped facilitators to connect before the 12-week programme began.
Next, we designed a participant workbook to support rangatahi throughout the programme and beyond. The workbook encouraged self-reflection, small achievable actions, and ongoing engagement with movement, rest, nutrition, and more. It was crafted to be supportive rather than prescriptive, with the flexibility to be adapted after feedback from participants.
We also helped shape and deliver a Week 0 co-design session. This was important as it invited participants to co-create the final six weeks of the 12-week programme. By doing this, we ensured the experience was directed by their own voices, needs, and ideas, which also helped with buy-in from the rangatahi.
The impact
Medical student Josie Verhaaren evaluated how the facilitator co-design session influenced relationship-building and collaboration. Her findings showed increased confidence and connection among facilitators, leading to a more cohesive and empathetic delivery of the programme.
Participant evaluation proved tricky due to varying attendance, which reflects the complex realities and rhythms rangatahi navigate. This has provided the team with an opportunity to develop a new evaluation framework for co-designed, lived-experience-led wellbeing programmes.
The whakawhanaungatanga pocket guides have become a valued tool, reprinted for ongoing use beyond the pilot.
Client feedback
Otago University
"Our team has loved working with StudioC from day one. Both the approach they take - taking the time to listen to us about what we needed, listening to the communities that we work with - and the beautiful design outputs that have come out of the project have exceeded our expectations. Everything we do aims to support the mana of those that we work with, and this aligns perfectly with how StudioC do their thing.
Aside from the awesome creativity, they do the basics really well, too; They are highly professional, communicate well, are flexible, and do everything in a timely manner. We’re looking forward to further opportunities to work with the team.”
Matthew Jenkins
“Working with StudioC has been one of the most enjoyable and memorable parts of our year. Their genuine care for people and for the heart of the mahi makes all the difference. They slot seamlessly into our team and bring fresh energy and creativity, transforming our ideas into lively workshops and engaging, beautifully crafted materials. Their warm, creative approach fosters a comfortable and fun atmosphere where meeting new people and sharing ideas feels easy, and where the magic truly happens.”
Victoria Chinn
