Soma Co-Designed Technology for Wellbeing

Wellbeing of the mind and body benefits from an holistic approach which recognises the multisensory capabilities of people. Developments in multimodal interfaces for digital technology has opened up opportunities to transform embodied experiences. The different sensory qualities of physical and digital materials, objects and bodies can be brought into the design process to enrich and augment individualised approaches into supporting  mental and physical wellbeing.

Two groups at particular risk of poor mental and physical wellbeing are those living with dementia, and neurodivergent people (for example, ADHD). This project will evaluate Soma design as a method to explore embodied sensory experiences and their relationship to self-care and wellbeing in people who may have atypical sensory sensitivities. Through Soma co-design workshops the team will explore and build a series of prototype interactive technologies to be curated at City as Lab in a public exhibition. The Co-design practise will be focused through lived experience expertise which is a novel application area for Soma design and digital mental wellbeing.

Start date: 1 September 2024 – 30 October 2025

Project Team: Pat Brundell, Paul Tennent, Juan Martinez Avila, Armaghan Moemeni, Sachiyo Ito-Jaeger, Emily Thorn, Neil Chadborn, Chris Greenhalgh

Soma Co-Designed Technology for Wellbeing is a Horizon Welfare Campaign project