Design Thinking as a Participatory Research Method to Protect Endangered Species: A Citizen Science Application

During the past two decades across New South Wales and Queensland, koala populations have been in steep decline. Despite being nationally listed as Endangered in 2022, populations have not been stabilised and threats to the long-term survival of koalas remain. Climate change predictions suggest that human-occupied coastal habitats may offer greater protection to koalas from natural disasters such as drought and wildfires, presenting a role for people to play in koala conservation. However, the design of conservation programs is rarely informed by the affected audiences themselves, lowering their probability for success. Acknowledging the need to centre approaches on people who don’t typically think about conservation, this study applied the 5-step design thinking process, a participatory research method focused on driving innovation. A one-day design thinking workshop was conducted in September 2024. Seven design teams were formed and tasked with developing an initiative to support the reporting of koala sightings through citizen science. Each team included participants with diverse experience and expertise, ensuring balanced representation across roles. During the design process, teams received feedback from a citizen jury before presenting final pitches. Citizen jurors were individuals with no prior experience in citizen science or koala conservation. Every participant was given a budget to invest in their favourite design. The top three citizen science program concepts featured customised apps with functionality such as auto-recording koalas, sharing information with other users, and fostering social connectivity. The juries’ selections focused on business partnerships, incentives, and tailored information for users. Notably, the jury selections did not overlap with the top three designs chosen by workshop participants. The inclusion of a citizen jury in a one-day design thinking workshop is a novel contribution. The utility of design thinking as a participatory method is discussed alongside the study’s limitations, offering avenues for future research.