Empathy by Design: Tailoring Life-Centered Solutions for Seniors and Individuals with Dementia, with Shital Desai
As our global population ages, the need for innovative, thoughtful, and human-centred design solutions becomes increasingly urgent. This presentation, titled “Empathy by Design: Tailoring Life-Centered Solutions for Seniors and Individuals with Dementia,” focuses on the growing field of life-centred design and its transformative potential in creating products, services, and environments that enhance the quality of life for seniors and individuals living with dementia. The talk will explore how design, when grounded in empathy and a deep understanding of humans and the environments around them, can foster independence, dignity, and well-being for these vulnerable populations.
Speaker Profile
Dr. Desai is an Associate Professor in Interaction Design at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, a Research Chair in Accessible Interaction Design at York University and the co-lead of the Connected Minds Training Committee.
With nearly 30 years of experience in Robotics and Participatory Design, she leads the innovative Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) lab, supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Her groundbreaking work focuses on developing accessible and inclusive technologies and services that champion the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Health and Well-being. Dr. Desai’s research is dedicated to creating assistive technologies for vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, Neurodivergent populations, people with speech, physical and cognitive impairments, and individuals with dementia, utilizing participatory codesign and system thinking approaches.
As a committed member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dementia Knowledge Exchange, she actively contributes to global health policies and care systems. She was recently invited to be a panel member for the new WHO Grand Challenges in Social Connection program at the UN.
She is the recipient of several awards including the 2021-22 AMPD Dean’s Research Award and the Petro Canada Young Innovator Award. She was nominated for the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA). She was one of the 24 semi-finalists selected from applicants worldwide for the prestigious Longitude Dementia Award in the UK, where she is working with researchers in Canada, the UK and the Netherlands to develop technologies for cueing people with dementia in everyday activities.
Register below and join us on Wednesday, December 4, at 1 p.m. ET
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