The in-progress “Design for mental health” research was initiated based on the project leader’s doctoral research, aiming to find a connection between the challenges of environmental loss and the opportunities of design approaches and it is embedded into MOME’s Society and Action Lab. The project brings together an interdisciplinary team to develop a new research area and methodology by combining existing knowledge on (1) supportive physical environments, (2) participatory design methods, and (3) the mental challenges of homelessness aiming to examine how participatory design process can support the agency of homeless clients at Alföldi Temporary Shelter in Budapest. Through a small-scale participatory design pilot intervention with the clients the project explores how participatory design can be integrated into the shelter's regulations to incorporate creative activities into its long-term services. 

The research applies a mixed methodology of expert and user interviews, participatory observations, photo safaris and other visual tools in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the clients’ experience of the participatory design stages (emphasising, ideating, brainstorming and co-creating). However, the results are still under analysis, feedback of clients and involved social workers of the Shelter suggest that participatory design process might support homeless clients’ well-being and thus a longer and more detailed cross-institutional research development is needed to explore the potentials of this interdisciplinary area.