Empathic Design, Co-creation, Design development. Assistive technology.

As a designer my background includes automotive styling, large scale structures, exhibition design, domestic furniture and products, infant care and diagnostic-technology products. An increasing interest into user focussed objects and experiences, led to the design of a moving experience-platform to share or individualise travel that was developed for my Masters Degree.

With 20 years of professional experience in the design industry and the most recent 10 years working specifically on healthcare projects, I have been directly involved with expert users, patient groups, and healthcare professionals. I have collaborated with a variety of SME’s and international companies tasked with production of subtle and meaningful solutions to often life-restricting, undignified experiences.

There are over 200 projects in the team portfolio during my time leading the design studio at HDTI (some listed below). Each design is based upon a defined user need. All solutions have a simple, de-stigmatised aesthetic. Each design aims to encourage product selection and promote continued usage:

• Assistive Walking Sticks and Anti-slip shock-absorbing Ferrules
• Neo-natal furniture
• Non-slip drinking mugs and eating plates
• Wheelchair stability assessment systems (hardware and GUI)
• Assistive and infant dental care
• Commodes (contemporary approach)
• Shopping aids

I truly believe that thoughtfully created solutions (be they devices, systems, techniques or a multitude of others) allow us to build futures that are both accessible and delightful for all.

It is fascinating to look deeply into encountered problems, gain experiential insight and co-design with end users to find ways to make lives, fundamentally, better.

Extending this creative integration of co-design methods, my PhD research (2015 to 2020) will focus on the co-development of a new methodology, with adults with learning disabilities, for designing a de-stigmatised Smartphone interface that will help avoid currently experienced social, economic and practical barriers.