Dina Shahar דינה שחר

Traditionally, design practice is based on the development and production of tangible outcomes, which provide both functional and aesthetic solutions. Materials, forms and details constitute the aesthetics which are embedded and evaluated within the classic discourse on semiotics, material culture, technology, usability and styling. This is also the case in healthcare contexts, where designers are still primarily involved in shaping medical products like MRIs and surgery tools. However, in recent years designers have become increasingly involved in areas outside the commercial and industrial spheres, seeking to influence and trigger change in diverse social contexts and scenarios. These changes, which reframe the role of designers, involve new research methods and outcomes, including the design of processes, systems and services, specifically directed at promoting people’s well-being. These shifts challenge the meaning and evaluation of aesthetics, as the focal point moves away from the designed object to the reframing of experiences, sensations and situations. Stemming from co-design and inclusive design strategies, this approach seeks to harness aesthetics vis-a-vis complex human scenarios. Through case studies which focus on the sensorial, emotional, as well as socio- cultural aspects of body-centered design projects, this chapter will highlight new layers of the Somaesthetics of Healthcare Design.

https://brill.com/display/title/63166