‘The needs of older audiences are distinct and all too often overlooked by companies and designers,’ says Josephine Chanter, director of audiences at the Design Museum in London. With this in mind, the 10 projects that make up the free Designing For Our Future Selves exhibition – which is a follow-up of last year’s The Future of Ageing – represent ideas and prototypes that intend to help us all age with more agency and joy.
Curated in partnership with the Design Age Institute, Designing For Our Future Selves runs from 24 February to 26 March at the Design Museum in London. ‘We hope all our visitors will leave inspired by how designers can enhance the quality of our lives, regardless of our age,’ says Chanter.
Take a look at some of the designs on show.
Hamlyn Walker
The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art posed the Hamlyn Walker Challenge for designers to propose new approaches to the walking frame. Product designer Michael Strantz’s proposal for a single walking frame that can meet the needs of different generations won, and he is now working with design agency PriestmanGoode to explore production possibilities.
IntellAge
Created by Walk with Path, a health technology company, IntellAge is a smart insole system that works to keep users active and safe by digitally tracking their mobility and gait through a smart sensor system. The system feeds data into an app, helping users monitor their mobility.
Tides
Tides is a whole-body massager designed by Salomé Bazin, founder of design studio Cellule, in collaboration with interaction designer Giulia Tomasello. Tides uses vibration technologies to support menopausal women with relaxation, pleasure and improved sleep by increasing blood flow and keeping tissue healthy and oxygenated.
Riser chair
A piece of furniture that is both functional and beautiful, the Riser Chair was designed by Ali Jafari, the founder of Designed Healthcare Ltd, to assist the elderly and those with limited mobility with sitting up and standing.
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Photographs: Design Museum and Design Age Institute.
