Vision
The role of the designer has increasingly become that of facilitating qualified choices by individuals, enterprises or society between real and more sustainable alternatives than current ones – rather that creating more of what’s already there” (Danish Designers Manifesto). I firmly believe that this applies not only to product design but to all areas of life. If you want an undertaking to succeed you need to make a (sustainable) difference.
Activity
Nine final year students of the COMAS Design School (College of Management Academic Studies, Israel) are developing novel concepts for so-called socio-gerontological units. These units provide a living space geared towards the specific needs of persons suffering of dementia. The purpose of such socio-gerontological units is to stimulate and/or reactivate the competences of diseased persons through shared activities so as to positively impact, or even slow down the development of dementia. The students are focusing more particularly on the mechanisms of memory and its role in preserving identities and dignity. How can you improve your memory? What do we need to remember collectively and individually in order to preserve our identity? What do we need to forget? Dimensions here include personal belongings; personal history; stimulation of the senses (sound, touch, smell); and environmental projections. « Dzigning the TimeLine: Inclusive Design for the Third Age » benefits from the partnership with the group “Servior” (Luxembourg), which allowed the students to explore the challenges and needs in a real context with both the personnel and residents of an integrated elderly care facility. The students are coached by faculty members of the Design School, three young Luxembourg designers, as well as by Luxembourg-based experts.