Cultural Immersion
TEMBO, Sprott
Working with the Maasai of Longido District, Tanzania, this social design project presents unique problems where students’ opportunity identification, creative design and problem-solving skills were applied to benefit a community. Industrial Design students were partnered with Sprott School of Business students and Tembo Canada in an interdisciplinary, co-development, and human-centered approach. It was focused on immersive social engagement to develop innovative contextually sensitive products that improve human well-being and livelihood for self-sufficiency and economic development within the Maasai community
Human Protection
Biokinetics
Students identified and researched injury-risk scenarios that arise from work, sport or adventure where there is a need for innovative advancement to human protection and safety. Application advancements at the convergence of technology, physiology, engineering and design play a crucial role in driving measurable performance, innovation and benefit for society. Biokinetics supported the students with their projects. Biokinetics’ injury biomechanics expertise helps ensure the development of better body protection devices and human safety systems through rigorous and pragmatic methods.
Healthcare
MDes Alumni, Perley Health, Hillel Lodge, The Care Work, Aging, & Health Lab, Arise Learning Lab
Students looked at challenging problems that exist in the healthcare space. Through research, engagement with experts and site visits, specific problems were identified. They were explored with careful consideration of the greater system, the range of people and the various environments involved. A user-centric approach was taken to developing design solutions. Two specific areas of focus for these projects are long-term care as well as type 1 diabetes management. Faculty at Carleton University with expertise in long term care, MDes Alumni and two long-term care facilities (Hillel Lodge and Pearly Health) supported these projects.