Human centred design of Luminear, a digital wellbeing program for adults with hearing loss

Abstract Purpose: This study uses a human-centred design (HCD) approach to co-create an accessible and personalised web-based intervention to address the psychosocial impacts of adults living with hearing loss. Methods: Employing a HCD methodology, this project adapted a paper-based hearing wellbeing program into a web-based program incorporating iterative feedback from co-designers including adults with lived experience of hearing loss. The co-design team consisted of three researchers, five designers, and nine adults with lived experience of hearing loss. Further consultation was provided by a seven-member research steering committee. Results: The HCD process led to development of Luminear, a digital hearing wellbeing program, that successfully integrated feedback from a diverse co-design team, leading to significant improvements in content accessibility, user engagement, and system usability. Iterative testing phases included low- and high-fidelity prototyping, culminating in a minimum viable product. Conclusion: Future research will focus on conducting a feasibility study to prepare for efficacy testing in a randomised controlled trial. The HCD process underscores the importance of involving multidisciplinary teams and end-users in the design process to ensure that digital health interventions are both effective and user centred.