Hope

Design Against Stigma

Symposium Hope - PhD Defence Kristof Vaes Monday 28th of April 2014
Symposium Hope
10.00u 13.00u Joost van der Grinten zaal

Opening session

Prof. Pieter Jan Stappers / Prof. Pieter Desmet / Drs. Kristof Vaes

Prof. Jeremy Myerson / Director & Helen Hamlyn Chair of Design Dr. Jasmien Herssens / Universal Design Living Lab Francesca Lanzavecchia / Lanzavecchia & Wai
Many well-meaning inventions fail not because they arent helpful, but because they arent appealing. To improve day-to-day hardship, designers must do what cold, clinical solutions do not: treat those in need as regular customers, whose emotions drive decisions. * Designers can create hope and make better products for those who are forced to use products they need, but do not like?

Kristof Vaes / PhD defence

14.30u 16.00u Aula TU Delft, Senaatzaal

Product Stigmaticity

Understanding, measuring and managing product-related stigma

14.30u - Introduction - Lekepraatje 15.00u - PhD Defence 16.15u - Reception

* Fast Company - November 2013

Jeremy Myerson

Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design - London, UK

Jeremy Myerson is Director of the centre and the firstever holder of the Helen Hamlyn Chair of Design, with a remit to encourage design that improves quality of life. An academic, author and activist in design for the past 30 years, he co-founded the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art in 1999 and is today a member of the Colleges Senior Management Team. Closely identified with a people-centred approach to design, Jeremy is the author of many books, chapters and articles on aspects of design, art and architecture. Jeremys research focus is on the study of professional design practice in relation to social, demographic and technological change. He is particularly interested in the junction point of inclusive design and innovation - in exploring how people-centred design methods can be a trigger for social enterprise and business productivity. www.rca.ac.uk/research-innovation/ helen-hamlyn-centre/

Francesca Lanzavecchia

Lanzavecchia + Wai designers - Pavia, Italy

Lanzavecchia + Wai is a creative collaboration between Francesca Lanzavecchia and Hunn Wai. To them, being designers means being researchers, engineers, craftsmen and story-tellers all at the same time. Lanzavecchias main interest lies in the relationships objects have and can have with the human body and soul as well as having a fervent eye for future trends. Design projects to them are research journeys characterized by the pursuit and selective employment of different design disciplines and professional competences, to be curated, cross-bred and nurtured into concepts and products that propose possibilities and inspire new perspectives. Their work spans from limited editions for galleries and museums, to mass products for major companies, to special commissions for brands like Alcantara, Samsonite and Mercedes Benz. www.lanzavecchia-wai.com

Jasmien Herssens

Inclusive Living Lab - Hasselt, Belgium

The Design for All-living labs main objective is to link research, education, advice and demonstration in order to create more awareness towards Design for All and to bridge the gab between government, researchers, designers and the common people. In practice it is often remarked that designers, clients, users and constructors lack practical and applicable knowledge on creating inclusive environments. Accessibility regulations and norms are quiet regularly applied but often the actual solutions are stigmatizing or unaesthetical. The living lab is a demonstration place in which the latest innovative solutions in design can be experienced: different inclusive systems are present (to open doors, an adjustable kitchen, high tech domotics to assist your wishes in the environment, ) Besides the lab is literally considered as a laboratory in which people can test different options and can evaluate the best possible solutions. Factories and companies can test new solutions in collaboration with researchers and user-experts. It is a place for interdisciplinary research but always with respect to people and design. www.woonlabo.be/en

Kristof Vaes (PhD defence)

Product Stigmaticity
Many of the products intended to relieve us from discomforting or unsafe conditions and many medical and assistive devices are experienced as unpleasant and uncomfortable. In addition, use of these products often results in negative reactions from bystanders. My thesis focuses on those instances where the product is the causal factor of social rejection or stigma. Product-related stigma has negative effects on the product user, ranging from stress, over lowered selfesteem, to social isolation. This is interesting for designers because they are in a position to shape the products appearance in such a way that these reactions and effects may be reduced or avoided. My PhD thesis hopes to provide insight and understanding of the factors that shape the experiences of users and those who surround them. Furthermore I developed a set of tools that support designers to relieve users of the social stress related to using these products. These tools strive to go beyond the physical adaptation between user and product to inspire products that support the users personal and social well-being. www.kristofvaes.be