Using a Transition Design Approach to Explore the Adolescent Shift to Adulthood

Transition to adulthood is a multi-faceted, complex process that affects all areas of an adolescent’s internal and external world. Prior methodologies to assess the medical facet of this transformative time have focused on objective, quantitative analysis of transition practices to facilitate a productive transfer to an adult care provider, without considering the more nuanced context. Transition Design (TD) is an under-utilized, novel methodology that can holistically investigate transition to adulthood by generating insight into the current framework for transition both within and outside of the medical field, and by conceptualizing possible interventions for a more sustainable and equitable future -- all from the perspective of constituent groups who have expertise and a vested interest in transition. Participants within four such constituent groups (young adults, young adult caregivers, healthcare providers, and social services providers) completed a day-long workshop consisting of the six-activity sequence of TD, including 1) Mapping the Problem, 2) Mapping Constituent Relations, 3) Mapping the Evolution of the Problem, 4) Co-Creating Long-Term Future Visions, 5) Designing for the Transition, and 6) Designing Systems Interventions. TD is a promising approach for evaluating complex problems such as the transition to adulthood that thrive on the engagement of specific constituent groups. This methodology allows these groups to engage with and subsequently help solve wicked problems using their own experience.