- Sustainable Futures: joint project with Sustainable Futures in Africa, looked at the relationship between the global north and south
- Collaborative Futures: joint project with Glasgow City Council examined the role of data in allowing the people of Glasgow to shape their own city
- Self-initiated projects explored helping to deal with health anxiety, improving the quality of life for people with dementia, sustainable ways of living, future of work in Aberdeen in a post oil and more
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| Image: Helena Macdonald Interventions for the Worried Well a family of five annoying but well-intentioned objects that aim to stimulate the senses, interrupting negative thought cycles surrounding health |
Product Design students graduating from The Glasgow School of Art in 2020 have addressed two key issues in projects spanning the local (Glasgow City Council) and the global (Sustainable Futures in Africa). They have explored themes ranging from sustainable citizenship, to community participation and the value of collaborative creativity in defining how people might live and work together in the near future.
In Future Experiences undergraduate students considered the changing relationship between Sustainable Development and the Global South. Working with experts from the Sustainable Futures in Africa Network and academics at the University of Glasgow, the students explored what might happen in a global landscape ten years from now, where Sustainable Development has evolved to the extent that new forms of work transform how people engage, learn and interact with each other.
In Collaborative Futures MDes students partnered with Glasgow City Council’s Centre for Civic Innovation (CCI) to explore how data could shape the experiences of Glasgow’s citizens in 2030 and envisage what a well governed city might look like moving forwards. https://vimeo.com/400586835
Meanwhile, in self-initiated projects the students have approached issues ranging from helping to deal with health anxiety – especially in the world which is dealing with the reality of a novel virus – to improving the quality of life for people with dementia, sustainable ways of living and the future of work in Aberdeen in a “post oil” Future.
In Interventions for the Worried Well Helena MacDonald has designed a series of objects to help people deal with health anxiety, relevant to the current situation with the pandemic. The ‘Worried Well’ are a group of people particularly anxious about their health, resistant to reassurance and are perceived to be disproportionate users of health services,” she explains. “My Interventions for the Worried Well consists of a family of five annoying but well-intentioned objects that aim to stimulate the senses, interrupting negative thought cycles surrounding health. This re-education of anxious minds aims to help users cope with their thoughts at home and creates a pause in a moment of panic. Through the project I am challenging the conventional healthcare methods, whilst speculating upon playful solutions.”
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Image: Scent as memory (Struan Stewart’s Scentimental)
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In Scentimental Struan Stewart explores the context of dementia within the ageing population, specifically the contribution that design can make towards improving the quality of life for the person with dementia themselves, their care network and family members.
Dementia is the 5th biggest killer in the world and alongside old age is the only killer with no form of treatment or cure,” says Stuan. In Scentimental I propose a human-centred brand that accompanies an individual through their experience of living with dementia, and aims to comfort them, improve their quality of life and reduce the onus on carers and family members to look after them in the later stages”
Scentimental aims to utilise the sense of smell to allow individuals to engage better with their memories,” he adds. “After being diagnosed with dementia a doctor would introduce Scentimental to the individual and their family members, inviting them to attend a session at their local Scent Lab. Here the family would learn about the disease and tackle the surrounding stigma before working with a scent expert to create a ‘Portfolio of Scent’ based on the individual’s memories and life experiences.”
In the later stage of the disease when symptoms have worsened Scentimental would see the creation of individualised diffusers and essential oils based on the information generated at the Scent Lab. These diffusers would be used to both trigger happy memories and acts as prompts to help the individual navigate their home or the activities of daily living. The diffusers are made from lava rock which is recognised for its healing properties and grounding, calming qualities. As a porous rock it’s a good material for holding and diffusing oils, slowly releasing their fragrances over a long period of time.
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| Image: Iona Geddes explores our relation with nature in a post Covid world |
In Hydro City Stories in Glasgow Iona Geddes (MEDes) explores the role of futures design and storytelling in reimagining our relationship with nature post COVID-19. In her proposition, looking to 2050 when sea-levels have risen submerging Glasgow Airport and rainfall is at a record high, Iona looks at a scenario where Glasgow as once again reinvented itself as a city: Hydro-City.
“Whilst Hydro-City is speculation, the reality is that Glasgow currently faces the threat of sea-level rise and increased flooding over the next 50 years. Climate change in Scotland still feels intangible but we are beginning to see glimpses of the future. A flooded underpass outside Buchanan Bus Station for example could become a lot more common,” says Iona.
“In Hydro-City Stories: Glasgow I want to prompt public engagement with imagined futures for a city that has adapted to these risks, making the issue tangible and relatable. Now, more than ever, we need new ways of facilitating progressive discussions unencumbered by the constraints and preconceptions of the present.”
“If we strive for innovation, inclusivity and sustainability, then creativity and imagination need to be involved in the decision- making process as we move forward post COVID-19, and rethink our relationship with nature and the design of our local environment. We must find a way to embrace complexity,” she adds.
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| Image: Jessica Judge demonstrates outside the Scottish Parliament |
Jessica Judge has designed a living narrative which engages, educates and informs people about the issues associated with menstruation (Menstrual Matters) and in Future Aberdreams Bethany Cheyne has looked at developing visions for the future of work in Aberdeen in a Post Oil Future, collaboratively with people who represent the future workforce in the region. Among the stakeholders in the project is the current Provost of Aberdeen, Cllr Barney Crocket.
See full details of off all these projects and more on the Graduate Showcase 2020 digital platform.
The graduating students will be able to develop their profiles on the platform for the next twelve months adding further work as it is produced.
Ends
For further information contact:
Lesley Booth
07799414474
@GSofAMedia