The IT systems used in organizations are increasingly based on generic software solutions, designed within an ecosystem of designers, developers, and users. In contrast to traditional bespoke software development focusing on a single group of users or a single organization, software features are designed to be usable and relevant to a large audience of user organizations. For instance, DHIS2 is a generic health software solution developed and maintained at the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo. The software is used by different public and private organizations in more than 80 countries to collect, analyze and present health information. While the main generic software 'platform' is designed by developers in Oslo, groups of designers and developers in various countries support user organizations in implementing the solution. When the generic solution is implemented to serve a specific user organization, generic features are configured and extended according to local and specific needs. Although this process of ‘implementation-level design’ represents an increasingly relevant context of design and innovation of IT, it remains little explored by research. In this thesis project, students are to explore challenges and opportunities related to design and innovation in the DHIS2 software ecosystem, and potentially, explore resources that can support and promote design and innovation processes.
Students may focus on different aspects related to design and innovation such as:
- Design and evaluate resources such as guidelines, methods, and techniques for supporting and promoting user-oriented, and socio-technical design and innovation in the DHIS2 software ecosystem.
- Examining design and innovation practices of DHIS2 practitioners to identify challenges, opportunities, underlying enabling or constraining conditions, best practices, etc.
- Partaking in design and innovation projects in collaboration with DHIS2 practitioners in countries such as Mozambique, Malawi, and Rwanda to learn about challenges and opportunities for organizing and carrying out design and innovation projects that emphasize usable and relevant solutions for end-users.
The master students will be part of the DHIS2 Design Lab, working together with a larger group of master students and researchers in exploring various aspects of design, development, and innovation in enterprise software ecosystems. The master project will contribute directly to our work on strengthening design, development, and innovation practices in the ecosystem around DHIS2 - the most widely used health management information software in the world.