Sensory Wall: Joy, Peace, Grace and Life

Project Period
December 2017 - June 2018

Role
Design Researcher - Project Leader

Performance

Project management
Facilitating user study activities
Prototyping & Production
User Experience Evaluation

Project Goal

Aiming to enrich the positive multi-sensory experience of people with dementia who need a sensory focused activity with the co-designed textile-based sensory tool.

The Growth in Numbers of People with Dementia

The prevalence rates of dementia in Hong Kong is estimated to be at 5%~8% among persons aged over 65, and at 20%~30% among those aged over 80.

Benefits of Stimulating Multi-senses

“Stimulation and activity suitable and appropriate for the individual with dementia will help keep the person active and included which also helps both to maintain function and cognition, and to manage and moderate mood and behaviour.”

- Jakob and Collier 2014

Stimulating tactility

Stimulating the sense of hearing

Stimulating the vision

Co-Design Research Methodology

Stakeholders

Focus group with dementia
Family members
Informal Caregivers
Seven social workers
Occupational therapist
Electronic Engineer
Care director
Textile technologist
Textile weaver
Constructor

Interviews in Dementia Community

I conducted the group interviews and rapid ideation workshop with the social workers, occupational therapist and care director to understand the current status of the elderly community centre and their expectations to improve the service. I also had informal interviews with family members and informal caregivers in the dementia community. Throughout these activities, I was able to extract the stakeholder's map of the centre and personas.

Personas

"We normally use the child toys to lead the cognitive training activity for the clients with dementia because of lack of time and skills to make activity tools professionally."

Wingki
Age/ 29
Social Worker

“Ms Wong (Person with dementia) always ask me some questions, but I don’t know how to lead the conversation.”

Adriana
Age/ 34
Domestic Helper

“I wish I could take care of my mother (Person with Dementia), but I need to work to sustain my life and family.”

Ming
Age/ 47
An office worker (Family member)

User Journey of Social workers to Provide the Dementia Activity Service

Throughout the interview with the social workers, I understand the user journey of providing dementia activity services at the elderly community centre.

Observations

To understand their existing dementia activities at the centre, I attended their activity sessions. I observed how to communicate with people with dementia and how the dementia activity influence on dementia community, including a focus group with dementia, informal caregivers and family members.

Survey

I conducted the colour and material preference survey with focus groups with dementia to understand

their preferred colour and materials. I designed the survey that people with dementia who have cognitive impairment a straightforward way of engaging.

How might we help more people with dementia to have the benefits of cognitive training activity as well as multi-sensory stimulation?

Design Concept

Red is physiologically stimulating and can promote the brain activity of people with dementia.

Blue can effectively calm down people with dementia.

Yellow can draw the attention of people with dementia.

Green can effectively calm down people with dementia.

JOY

Lion Dance

PEACE

Relaxing Sea

GRACE

Wind Chime

LIFE

Bird Singing

Bold Motif

Colour Contrast

Relevant Associations

Interactive Textiles

User Scenario with Sensory Wall

The first function of the Sensory Wall embedded an infrared sensor into each wall panel to sense users by the wall panel, and it illuminated each time a user passes by. In the second interactive function, touching a specific part of the wall panel would trigger the touch sensor, and the board reacted with sound and illumination.

Prototyping & Final Installation

Validation

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