The Thematic Pantry is an interactive and engaging teaching tool built out of the expertise and knowledge of Thematic Analysis expert Gareth Terry and the Good Health Design team at AUT. It has been designed to simplify the process of Thematic Analysis through the analogy of preparing a meal, in order to give a ‘taste’ of the process rather than a comprehensive understanding of the method.
The tool translates the process of Thematic Analysis into an easy to understand medium using dice to represent ingredients (data) and guides players through steps to group these together into potential meals (themes). By shifting the academic language of thematic analysis towards the universal experience of preparing food and meals, new researchers can get a taste of the process and gain a foundational understanding of thematic analysis that can be applied with confidence to their own research.
The tool can be used as part of a facilitated class experience or tutorials with details about each phase of Thematic Analysis incorporated via brief lectures to help embed some of the formal information about Thematic Analysis. It takes players through the phases of the Braun-Clarke Thematic Analysis, where data is represented as ‘ingredients’ and themes are represented as ‘dishes’. The tactility of the Thematic Pantry encourages players to move ingredients around, emphasising the multiplicity in the way data can be coded and grouped. The universal language of food makes for an accessible and fun activity that reframes Thematic Analysis.
The Thematic Pantry is a dice-based toolkit best played in a group of 4 people, but can be done in groups of 2-6. To begin, participants roll the 34 ingredient dice, then begin the process of note-taking characteristics and familiarising themselves with the array of ingredients that have been generated. A step-by-step instruction leaflet guides participants through each stage of the process, prompting them to analyse, arrange, and rearrange their ingredients to make the best meal.
A limited first run of the Thematic Pantry is now available for pre-order. It currently retails for NZD$85.00 per toolkit, with a 15% discount on orders of 4 or more toolkits using the code THEMATICKITCHEN
Orders will be shipped out from 15 February 2024 (or earlier if sold out).
The Thematic Pantry was built out of the expertise and knowledge of a multi-disciplinary team. Meet the team below.
GARETH TERRY
Gareth, PhD, is a senior lecturer in Critical Health Psychology at Massey University in Auckland, Aotearoa. He has worked as a health researcher for the last 15 years and he is interested in the intersection of gender, bodies, and health. His work shaped by critical theory and examines men's health, masculinities, disability, and access.
Gareth has worked extensively with Virginia Braun, Victoria Clarke, and Nikki Hayfield, including empirical research, writing methodological publications on thematic analysis, and co-facilitating workshops. He also has a growing interest in research that draws on principles and practices of co-design, and its implications for knowledge translation activity.
GOOD HEALTH DESIGN
Good Health Design is a transdisciplinary design and research studio based at AUT's School of Art + Design. They use design to empower, delight, and enrich lives in communities. Good Health Design are united by their motivation to help people to think differently, be confident to explore possibilities and dream bigger in response to healthcare challenges.
Imogen Zino
Imogen is a designer and artist based in Auckland, New Zealand. Her Masters at AUT explored large-scale multi-sensory interaction and the benefits of engaging with our environment through the body. Her works are intuitive and tactile in nature. Delving into the relationship between body, surface and environment, her background in digital, industrial, jewellery and textile design allows her to draw from a range of disciplines to create unique and engaging experiences.
Steve Reay
Steve is a Professor of Design and the director of Good Health Design, a collaborative design research studio at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). As one of a multidisciplinary team, whose aim is to develop better health and wellbeing experiences, Steve’s research focuses on how the design of products and services may have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Good Health Design enables designers to engage with industry professionals as well as researchers from other disciplines, to share and test ideas and develop unique solutions.
Cassie Khoo
Cassie is a designer and researcher working at AUT’s Good Health Design and Te Whatu Ora Waitematā’s Institute for Innovation and Improvement (i3). Her background is in communication design, specifically in branding and information visualisation. Her research focus is in Design for Health, with a particular interest in the use of co-design to improve communication of information in healthcare.
Gareth Terry has also co-authored the book Essentials of Thematic Analysis with Nikki Hayfield, introducing readers to reflexive thematic analysis, a method of analysing interview and focus group transcripts, qualitative survey responses, and other qualitative data.
BUY NOWFor any enquiries please get in touch with the team:
Gareth Terry – gterry@massey.ac.nz
Good Health Design – goodhealthdesign@aut.ac.nz
