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 quicky 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 and following design projects have been used as a starting for an educational course for master students product, graphic and interaction design and masters in animation and film making. From a one-time experiment in a care facility, this course module evolved into a solid, but still very experimental education module focussing on designing for and together with persons with dementia.

Next to being active in education, both Andrea and Niels are pursuing Ph.Ds. That of Niels focusses on the involvement of persons with dementia in the design process (Participatory Design) while Andrea's is looking at how 'designing for one' can enrich the design education process. 

Working with the Dementia Lab
If you are interested in hiring the Dementia Lab to help you or your organisation design or redesign with people with dementia in mind, or if you are an organsiation needing help on creating a workshop or you are interested in collaborating on a project with Dementia Lab co-founders Niels Hendriks and Andrea Wilkinson, you can send them an email: Niels Hendriks and Andrea Wilkinson.

Who we’ve worked with
From 20014-2019, Dementia Lab Research was supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung in sharing their educational story as well as their design research story. The Robert Bosch Stiftung has an ongoing interest in healthy ageing in general, and dementia more specifically. They support a variety of projects in- and outside of Germany trying to tackle this topic. Their interest in supporting this event comes from the aspiration to re-new the interest in designing for and together with persons with dementia in design education and practice.