CFP: ‘Dementia Lab: the Role of Design 2016’, Essen, Germany

Design educators of all disciplines, design researchers and designers are invited to attend this two-day event on designing together with people with dementia. Design in all of its forms, from graphic and product design to industrial design and interactions, is putting more focus on becoming socially meaningful. One way that design is responding to this is by working with the growing need of the elderly population and specifically those with dementia. Central to this is the question on how to include the person with dementia their family and (in)formal caregivers in the design process. In this two day event we invite design educators, designers and researchers to come and be inspired about how to work with people with dementia in their own practice. Next to that, we invite those who have experience in setting up design courses or research projects on designing for and together with persons with dementia to bring to the table their own failed and successful approaches. The two-day event will focus on three central issues: (1) how to facilitate design education focusing on (participatory) designing for persons with dementia, (2) the challenge for design students, practitioners and researchers to involve persons with dementia in the design process (3) reflections on the ways in which working with individuals with dementia impacts a designer’s current and future way of working. There will be speakers, presentations and workshops. To see the full schedule and to see the speaker list, please visit: http://www.dementialab.com

All design educators (from all disciplines), design researchers and designers are invited to attend. As the event is supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the cost to attend is free, however reserving your place in advance is necessary.