What started off in 2011 as a one-off research project, has since become a theme which continues to impact the way that we carry out research, we design as well as how we teach.

In 2011, Andrea Wilkinson and Niels Hendriks were involved in a design research project that focused on designing together with and for persons with dementia, looking specifically at interfaces and integration into care. What started as an 'interesting challenge' quickly became something more. This became their focus; how can we design tools for people with dementia that meet the demands of individuals, care givers and family members? How can we be sensitive to the demands of a healcare work setting? How can the individual's own lived experience foster into personalisation within a particular design?

In addition to working as designer/reserachers/cconsultants, the lessons learned from this initial project continue to inform their research and educational practice. From a one-time experiment in a care facility, their way of working was developed into a course module that has evolved into a solid, but still very experimental education module focussing on designing for and together with persons with dementia.