Where have we come from? Where are we going? How are we getting there? Timelining transitions using creative methods

Purpose: Individuals experience transitions that disrupt everyday life and impact well-being. The transition to self-management of a chronic condition, in particular, involves sustained changes and heightened vulnerability. Although these transitions are increasingly recognized as complex, marketing scholarship often relies on traditional methods that limit how such transitions are explored and understood. This study aims to introduce a novel method for accessing participant-led data in researching health-illness transitions. Design/methodology/approach Timelines are visual representations that support the recollection and sequencing of significant life events. Two participatory workshops were conducted with young people living with type 1 diabetes and family members. Participants created timelines to visually depict the dimensions that situate their healthcare journeys and behaviors, supported by a professional artist-facilitator and reflective practices. Findings: Timelines enabled in-depth participant reflection on the meaning and impact of health-illness transitions over time. The visual process supported participant agency, collective sense-making and active interpretation of lived experiences that are often difficult to articulate verbally due to their complex nature. Originality/value: A key contribution of this study lies in advancing the growing repertoire of participatory creative methods in marketing and consumer research. Specifically, it introduces a novel method for exploring transitions related to health and illness, revealing how vulnerability and agency fluctuate throughout the healthcare journey as individuals navigate shifting roles, relationships and care networks.