DESIGNING WELLNESS FOR ALL

by Lilit Markosian

for All Superior design offers much more than aesthetic pleasure. In subtle, often unnoticed ways, it shapes our daily experience by increasing functionality and introducing ease and comfort into challenging tasks and environments. Today more designers are turning their attention to wellness and taking into account the needs of underserved populations, employing collaborative practices in the design of services related to physical and mental health. On the following pages, we present a series of products, prototypes, and conceptual initiatives developed by Parsons students, alumni, and faculty that explore a range of design solutions for every stage of life. Created for children, adolescents, young adults, and people at middle and advanced ages and the end of life, these innovative designs enhance and elevate the human experience.

The early years of childhood are foundational; pre-adolescent experiences shape development and can influence future abilities and chances for success. The designs explored in this section reflect an understanding of young people as individuals whose specific needs can be addressed directly, rather than miniature adults lacking agency. In its own way, each project draws on the imagination and playfulness intrinsic to childhood.

—RENATA SOUZA LUQUE

Aishwarya Janwadkar, BFA Product Design ’18

The numerical pain scales doctors use are limited; it’s impossible to know whether level 5 pain feels the same for all people. Doctors who look only at a number may be more likely to prescribe greater amounts of medication, which can present a host of problems. As an alternative, alumna Aishwarya Janwadkar developed a set of tactile pain scales that facilitate nonverbal communication between doctors and patients, especially children. One of the pain scales is continuous and measures intensity. The other is categorical, enabling patients to choose between pain types, such as sharp, dull, and throbbing. Janwadkar’s project received the 2018 NYCxDESIGN Student Design Honoree Award and a 2019 Core77 Student Notable Health and Wellness Award, and her focus on health-related design continues to earn recognition.

Renata Souza Luque, BFA Product Design ’17

Created for children with Type 1 diabetes, THUMY is an insulin kit that makes administering insulin to the body easy and fun. The prototype set, intended for children ages four and up, includes an insulin pen designed to fit in a child’s hand and a series of temporary tattoos (available for purchase) that help children remember where they previously made injections. THUMY was a James Dyson Award finalist in the United States in 2017.

Managing screen time can be especially challenging for children. Created in collaboration with Dr. Emily Klass, a child psychologist, Kozyfone is a charging station that helps children develop better tech and sleep habits. The product, designed to resemble a tiny bed, invites children to tuck their smartphones in before going to sleep themselves. With extended use, the goal is to make “putting your phone to bed” a regular part of a child’s bedtime ritual. The team has iteratively developed, focus-group tested, and engineered a production-ready prototype and is currently seeking a partner for manufacturing, marketing, and distribution.

Often characterized as tumultuous and challenging years, adolescence and young adulthood are also times of profound change, discovery, and the development of empathy. The following projects celebrate the perspectives of those at this life stage, highlighting the value of being in touch with one’s emotions and curiosity. These designs also engage with values Gen Z is known for: inclusivity and a desire to make space for communities often othered or marginalized.

Monica Belot (faculty); Isabela Pak and Katie Choi (BBA Strategic Design and Management students)

This BBA Strategic Design and Management course partnered students with fashion company KONTOOR Brands to research issues related to inclusivity and body positivity. “It was a unique opportunity for a brand to gather fresh research and insights from a Gen Z perspective,” says Monica Belot, who taught the course. One research project, conducted by students Isabela Pak and Katie Choi, explored deficiencies in plus-size retail. By interviewing real women and analyzing consumer data, Pak and Choi uncovered ongoing problems in the sector and insights into the plus-size shopping experience and market opportunities.

Kat Lepak, MS Strategic Design and Management ’18

The Emotions Dome, conceptualized by alumna Kat Lepak for her thesis, is an interactive structure that gauges a community’s emotional state. The dome’s purpose is to help people, especially teenagers, take responsibility for their emotions and understand how others in their surroundings are feeling. Through an app, users submit assessments of their emotions to the dome, which assigns each emotion a color and lights up in patterns. The dome also responds. For example, if the community is agitated, the dome’s interior “safe space” will show calming colors.

—CHELLA MAN

One of the challenges faced by middle-aged people is maintaining a healthy balance between different aspects of their lives. Those managing competing responsibilities related to family, work, and the future sometimes struggle to pay adequate attention to selfcare. And increased engagement with the broader society brings a heightened awareness of societal needs. Accordingly, the designs in this section address well-being for not only middle-aged people but also the community at large.

Haoran Li and Siying Qu, BFA Fashion Design ’15 (Private Policy); Chella Man

When Li and Qu crossed paths with Chella Man at a Vogue party, their conversation included the fact that they’d all attended Parsons and ended with a proposed creative collaboration. The Beauty of Being Deaf is the resulting capsule jewelry collection, launched jointly by Private Policy designers and Chella Man, a deaf genderqueer trans-masculine artist, performer, and activist. The calligraphic, expressive jewelry—designed to adorn hearing aids, cochlear implants, and ears—is based on Chella Man’s artwork. The pieces celebrate both the beauty of the deaf and hearingimpaired communities and the mission-driven ethos of the Private Policy brand. A portion of the collection’s proceeds was donated to the Deaf Queer Resource Center.

Ilona Vileyn-Salah, BBA Strategic Design and Management ’21 (Parsons Paris)

Mental health has become a priority in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and prolonged shutdowns. For her senior capstone project, Ilona VileynSalah developed an application designed to help people improve their mental wellness through meditation and collaboration. Through the app people can express their needs and share wellness-focused tips with other users. The app also enables users to participate in challenges; set goals; track meditation journeys and progress; create groups on the basis of theme, age, or interests; and even book meditation sessions in wellness centers.

Yicen Shi, MS Data Visualization ’18

Yicen Shi developed a data visualization tool called Pathogen Contaminations in the Food Industry to help consumers make smart food choices. The digital tool collects and analyzes data on major incidents of food contamination and recalls throughout the United States. Users can search this data through several interactive visualizations and learn more about pathogens commonly found in food products. The goal of the project is to encourage the public to become conscious consumers and be aware of challenges with food safety.

Mirabelle Kunz, BFA Integrated Design ’21

Rosy Living: A Guide to Caring for Your Mind, Body & Earth is a lifestyle book created by alumna Mirabelle Kunz. This beautifully designed book explores forms of self-care and how we can apply them to create a holistic lifestyle that promotes health and happiness. Kunz’s book goes beyond examining the need to attend to our minds and bodies; it also explores the importance of caring for our planet and the environment. “This book is about self-care and earth care,” explains Kunz.

Sarah Lam, BFA Product Design ’21

Alumna Sarah Lam created the ergonomic Lacer for stroke survivors with decreased hand dexterity who struggle to tie their shoelaces. Designed to reduce stigma related to disability, the Lacer prototype fastens to the top of a shoe, enabling users to tie their laces independently with a single hand. The adaptive accessory also features release slits that make untying easy. This year, the Lacer was a WantedDesign featured project, and Lam is developing the project further.

Aging populations are arguably among the most overlooked in society. End-of-life realities are regularly avoided, both in healthcare and the design world. But as medical advances increase longevity, it’s more important than ever to design for older individuals. These designs are aimed at making the world more comfortable for older people. They also tackle taboo topics like the process of death, seeking to make it more manageable and human centered.

Jenny Liu, MFA Transdisciplinary Design ’19; Amanda Astorga-Pinto, MFA Transdisciplinary Design ’18; Naoki Hashimoto, MFA Transdisciplinary Design ’19

—JENNY LIU, AMANDA ASTORGA-PINTO, AND NAOKI HASHIMOTO

Ongoing medical advances have helped prolong life among many demographic groups. Yet as populations age, we lack the tools with which to address their complex needs. In collaboration with New York Presbyterian Hospital, alumni Jenny Liu, Amanda Astorga-Pinto, and Naoki Hashimoto created Poetics of Dying, a tool kit that teaches medical practitioners how to have honest and open conversations with patients about the end of life.

Aditi Timbadia, BFA Product Design ’19

Ensemble is a product prototype for a set of musical instruments designed especially for older people. While making music can be physically and mentally stimulating and therapeutic, it becomes increasingly difficult with age. Aditi Timbadia designed Ensemble’s unpitched percussion instruments for people with hearing loss, arthritis, dementia, and other conditions. With Ensemble, music making is a collaborative, multisensory experience, incorporating touch and sight as well as hearing.