A lot can be said for the value of empathy in design, but design inspired by a real, lived experience is pretty powerful in itself.
The work of Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, Alissa Rees was directly inspired by her experience in hospital. She spent one and a half years undergoing treatment for leukemia. Her stand-out project, IV-Walk is a portable IV pole that stimulates mobility, thereby speeding up recovery time.
With the removal of all the unnecessary links, this product has the potential to significantly improve the lives of patients.
Two more projects were borne out of Alissa’s experience. Balance your Bead is a way for patients to consciously monitor their activity by visually displaying active days vs. lazy days, encouraging them to keep the balance.
Baby Farm Toys are filled with straw, wool and earth – elements found in nature that aid the building up of a strong immune system. She presented her work at the first-ever antenna, a conference for the best global design graduates.
The project is a poignant reminder that at the heart of the system that enables modern living is a steel shipping container.