Design4Health conference and exhibition
On July 15th, we (Katrien Dreessen and Selina Schepers) were present at the Design4Health conference in Sheffield, UK. The conference was hosted by Lab4Living, a collaboration between the Art and Design and Health and Social Care Research Centres at Sheffield Hallam University and the users, consumers or customers. According to the organizers, the conference “was a focus for researchers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss, disseminate and test their approach and methods. It challenged the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with users and stakeholders” (see: http://www.design4health.org.uk/).
After listening to the keynotes of Professor Geraldine Fitzpatrick (professor of Design and Assessment of Technology and Head of the Human Computer Interaction Group at the Faculty of Information in the Vienna University of Technology) on “New challenges for health IT – design fit for life” and George Leahy (Deputy Director of Innovation of the UK Department of Health), we presented our own abstracts. During a session on self-management, Katrien presented the abstract “Your Map or Mine: visualising involvement for the development of eHealth projects”. Selina did a presentation on “Methods for collective creativity in experience design processes for health(care)” during a session on design methods.
Afterwards we also visited the Design4Health exhibition, which showcased work from international artists, designers and researchers, bringing together a diverse set of creative responses to a broad range of healthcare issues. The selected works cover a spectrum of forms, from artistic interventions, to documentary style video, interactive displays, and innovative product and service solutions. The common thread that brought together these expressions is a desire to engage with the universal subjects of healthcare and a consideration for the patient in all of us. An example of a featured work is “Hanky Pancreas”, a fashionable design solution for those living with diabetes:
For pictures of the exhibition and for more information on the Design4Health conference and Lab4Living, check out http://www.design4health.org.uk/.
Tags: conference, design, exhibition, healthcare, Social Design
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