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DesignFoundationAutumn 2026

Health Service Design

Hosted by R3i Ventures — Health Hub

A foundation track for people new to service design. You will map a real patient journey, find where it breaks, prototype a change with clinicians and patients in the room, and test it — learning the craft of research that does not lead the witness.

Skills assessed

Journey mappingEthical researchPrototypingCo-design facilitationAccessibility

The six sprints

Each sprint has one named outcome. Your mentor signs it off, sends it back with written challenges, or fails it — the same three options the permanent team gets.

  1. W1

    Foundations & ethics

    Outcome — A research plan cleared for consent, safeguarding and accessibility.

    10 hrs · 3 tasks

    • Ethics grounding

      Research

      Consent, withdrawal, safeguarding, data minimisation.

      3 hours

    • Write the research plan

      Build

      Who, why, what you will not ask, and how you stop.

      4 hours

    • Plan review

      Review

      Cleared by your mentor before you speak to anyone.

      3 hours

  2. W2

    Listening

    Outcome — Six interviews conducted without leading a single answer.

    10 hrs · 3 tasks

    • Interview practice

      Review

      Two rehearsals; get told where you led the witness.

      3 hours

    • Run the interviews

      Research

      Six sessions across patients and staff.

      5 hours

    • Same-day notes

      Build

      Written within an hour, before memory edits itself.

      2 hours

  3. W3

    Journey mapping

    Outcome — A journey map that the people in it recognise as true.

    10 hrs · 3 tasks

    • Build the map

      Build

      Stages, emotions, handoffs, waiting.

      5 hours

    • Mark the breakages

      Research

      Where does the pathway drop someone?

      3 hours

    • Validate with participants

      Review

      Show it back. Change what they correct.

      2 hours

  4. W4

    Co-design

    Outcome — Two prototypes made with clinicians and patients, not for them.

    10 hrs · 3 tasks

    • Facilitate the workshop

      Present

      You run the room. Your mentor observes only.

      4 hours

    • Build the prototypes

      Build

      Low fidelity, fast, disposable.

      4 hours

    • Accessibility pass

      Review

      Contrast, reading age, language, assumed devices.

      2 hours

  5. W5

    Testing

    Outcome — Evidence for which prototype actually helps.

    10 hrs · 3 tasks

    • Test both

      Research

      Same tasks, same script, alternating order.

      5 hours

    • Synthesise

      Build

      Themes ranked by frequency and severity.

      3 hours

    • Kill the weaker one

      Review

      Say clearly why. Killing well is a skill.

      2 hours

  6. W6

    Handover & showcase

    Outcome — A service blueprint the delivery team can pick up.

    11 hrs · 4 tasks

    • Service blueprint

      Build

      Front stage, back stage, and who owns each step.

      5 hours

    • Delivery handover

      Review

      Walk it with the team who will build it.

      2 hours

    • Showcase

      Present

      Present to the clinical panel and take questions.

      2 hours

    • Case study writeup

      Build

      Publish to your FutureFit skills passport.

      2 hours

Ready to take the track?

Applications close two weeks before the Autumn 2026 cohort starts.

Apply now