Transforming public health through user-centric design: Highlights from our innovation workshop

Recently, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a workshop with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Kent County Council. The event – Transforming Public Health Through User-Centric Design – brought people together to explore a key question: how can we better support healthy weight across our communities in Kent and Medway?

Excess weight is closely linked to a range of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, musculoskeletal conditions and certain cancers, and it affects quality of life for many people. Around two-thirds of adults and a quarter of children leaving primary school are either overweight or obese, especially in more disadvantaged areas. It’s clear this is a real challenge for both community wellbeing and health inequalities, on which we haven’t yet been able to shift the dial.

We had an incredible mix of attendees, including community members, Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), local authority personnel from a range of teams, primary care colleagues, innovation leads, digital transformation experts, and start-ups and innovators. The room was buzzing with different perspectives, experiences and ideas. It genuinely felt like the perfect blend of lived experience, professional insight and creative thinking.

Starting with people, not solutions

AWS facilitated the day using their Working Backwards approach – a method that starts by getting really clear on the vision that we would like to see in the future for our communities before jumping into solutions.

This meant we could start big, thinking about long-term ambitions, before exploring which innovative ideas could help us get there in the future.

One thing I loved about the process was that it didn’t expect us to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it encouraged people to bring in work they’d already been doing and use this as fuel to build shared understanding and priorities.

The diversity of voices shaped the day in a powerful way, grounding discussions in real experiences, highlighting inequalities, adding strategic and clinical context, and challenging us to think differently. This mix of perspectives – from community members to public health, VCSE partners, innovators, and regulators – sparked fresh ideas and ensured solutions were both practical and inclusive.

Because of this mix, conversations were richer, ideas were questioned (in a good way!), and we collectively shaped solutions that felt realistic and meaningful. It’s incredible what happens when people who don’t normally sit together in the same room have the chance to collaborate.

What we came up with: Five big themes

Rather than ending the day with a long list of individual ideas, we distilled everything into a set of high-level themes that reflect where we can make the biggest impact:

1. Focusing on health, not weight
   There was strong support for shifting away from weight-centric messaging and towards a more holistic view of wellbeing. This included rethinking traditional “slimming” services into something more empowering, inclusive and community-led.
2. Improving food environments
   From clearer food labelling to reducing reliance on ultra-processed foods, we explored how retailers, regulators and communities can work together to make healthier choices easier.
3. Train staff to work weight neutrally
   How can we build skills, confidence and capacity across different sectors so more staff feel able to support people in an inclusive, non-judgmental way?
4. Creating healthier spaces for children and young people
   Schools and youth settings were a big focus – how could they play a stronger, more joined-up role in promoting overall health and wellbeing?
5. Supporting families in the early years
   Parents told us how important connection, confidence and practical support are – so we explored ways to strengthen early nutrition, peer support and community spaces.

Video – Watch what workshop attendees had to say about the day

So, what’s next?

The energy and insight in the room made it clear that people are ready for change – and ready to work together to make it happen. At Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex, our next step is to continue the conversations with partners and communities, and explore how we turn these ideas into real-world action.

The workshop was a reminder of just how powerful it is when we design with people, not just for them. When we listen deeply, collaborate widely and stay rooted in real needs, genuine innovation becomes possible.

One of the most powerful benefits of the day was the sheer diversity of voices in the room. Bringing together people who don’t usually collaborate sparked fresh ideas and opened up new connections that will continue beyond the workshop. It reminded us that innovation thrives when different perspectives meet and challenge each other in constructive ways.

If you’d like to stay connected with this work or get involved in what comes next, please get in touch. Together, we can build healthier, more connected and more supportive communities across our region.

The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Health Innovation KSS. Content is for general information only and not medical advice; references do not imply endorsement. Information was accurate at publication and may change; Health Innovation KSS is not responsible for external links.