Wellness

Timeline scenario for a health journey. (Timeline by Tai Huynh, Jen Recknagel, and Jayar Lafontaine). From Design for Care.

To reflect on design as a humanist discipline is to understand, without question, the degree to which our health is central to everything we do. From mental health (in which we think of social isolation as a form of personal deprivation) to architectural health (in which we think of the environment itself as a sensory apparatus), we have, in recent years, come to attune ourselves to data in a more granular way: design, in this context, is the great translator, rethinking agency, equity, impact, and the mysteries of the microbiome. As we work to enlarge our perspectives to better consider the life cycles of products and services, we can design a less intrusive insulin pump, a more hospitable waiting room, better diagnostic tools, and improved programs for preventative medicine and care. Being human also means remembering to breathe, to laugh, and to show up for others: our collective health deserves nothing less.