Design for (every)one: the rise of makerhealth
A reptrospective on 10 years of co-design on DIY Assistive technology in Belgium.

Curator: Lieven De Couvreur & Katrien De Schepper (BE)

The advent of networked computers and digital fabrication make it feasible that individuals which mainly fall out of the mainstream can produce or adapt their own unique tools. More often these hacks can even compete with the qualitative standards of mass-production coming from large factories. Within the context of design for disability this perspective opens-up a complementary alternative to universal design.

Today there are a lot of people with disabilities whose assistive devices have not yet come about, due to unique needs and challenges. A new generation of makers and healthcare professionals are seizing this opportunity by producing one of a kind product adaptations in people’s homes, sheltered workshops and rehabilitation centers. Although future healthcare policies are encouraging to effectively engaged people in the collaborative maintenance of their own health there is little known on the dynamics of these community-based processes and how professional designers can take part of them.

With this exposition we tend to open the discussion on the use of product hacking methodologies within self-care and frame them in contrast with universal design. Over the last year, 100 participatory design case studies have been set up in local contexts built around meaningful activities of individual people. The D4E1 research group from University College of West-Flanders (Howest) coordinated by Lieven De Couvreur made a unique selection of 60 objects designed for, by and with Belgian citizens. All of them are designed under a creative commons (CC) license.

This exhibition was shown last year during the “RECIPROCITY Design Liège”, an international triennial on design and social innovation. This design event is the initiative of Province de Liege i.s.m. Wallonnie Design and was under the artistic direction of Giovanna Massoni.

All objects are the result of co-design sessions for, by and with Belgian citizens. These sessions took place from March to June 2018 at Howest Hogeschool Kortrijk, and ESA Saint-Luc Liège.
 
This huge D4E1 production is made possible thanks to the support of the following partners:
Province de Liege - Wallonie Design - Design Region Kortrijk - Howest Hogeschool

http://designforeveryone.howest.be/
lieven.de.couvreur@howest.be

Howest Industrial Design Center
Marksesteenweg 58 | 8500 Kortrijk | Belgium
+32 [0]56 24 12 11  +32 [0]479 78 66 58