Is it possible that design contributes to the wellbeing of individuals and communities? That is the central question raised at the Positive Design Day on May 24.
Anyone interested in the relationship between design, technology and human wellbeing is welcome to attend. The event will be hosted by the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering and will mark the launch of the Delft Institute of Positive Design (DIOPD.)
The day includes lectures, a panel discussion, and an interactive exhibition that demonstrates ten currently running research projects. In the morning session three international speakers will present their ideas on design for wellbeing. This will be followed by a panel discussion on practical and ethical aspects of designing for wellbeing. After lunch, there will be interactive exhibitions in ten locations in the faculty that represent an overview of the diversity of experience-driven design research at Industrial Design Engineering. In the afternoon Professor Pieter Desmet will give his inaugural lecture for TU Delft entitled “Positive Design.”
Desmet joined TU Delft in 2012 as full professor of Design for Experience at the Department of Industrial Design Engineering and also chairs the DIOPD. According to their website, the DIOPD aims to initiate and stimulate the development of knowledge that supports designers in their attempts to design for human flourishing. “In Delft we have a strong basis of scientific research in the topic of design for experience,” states Desmet. “The last few years, we have observed a growing interest in the impact of design on the general quality of life of individuals and communities; in the possibility to increase the subjective well-being of the people who use these products.”
According to Desmet, subjective well-being refers to how people experience the quality of their lives, which includes both evaluations (being satisfied with your life) and emotions (having more frequent positive emotions than negative emotions). Compared to experience-driven design, the focus of well-being-driven design is more on the long-term subjective impact of the design on the user. As for what to expect from the event, Desmet states, “For the audience, our hope is to increase your understanding of what human well-being is, and be inspired by examples of how design can contribute to this.”
The symposium and lunch is free, but registration is required. Spaces are limited, and once the lecture hall is full, screens will screen the presentations in the main hall of the faculty. For registration and more information visit www. io.tudelft.nl/positivedesignday.
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