Sames, HannahReay, StephenKhoo, CassandraTerry, Gareth2024-05-202024-05-202024-02-25Design for Health, ISSN: 2473-5132 (Print); 2473-5140 (Online), Informa UK Limited, 8(1), 78-92. doi: 10.1080/24735132.2024.23193682473-51322473-5140http://hdl.handle.net/10292/17567This study describes the development of a paint-based toolkit, which explored how thinking through the act of painting, colour choices and mark-making might enhance meaningful conversation. Painting methods were valuable in creatively engaging patients and staff in co-design activities and helped them consider the focus topic of what ‘care’ looked like and meant to them. As such, we illustrate how a ‘simple’ creative activity can be used to help uncover different perspectives and sense-making around a shared focus. We hope that such an approach may support people to come together to help challenge the boundaries of what insight-driven healthcare might look like.© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/33 Built Environment and Design3303 DesignGeneric health relevance3303 Design4203 Health services and systemsJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1080/24735132.2024.2319368