health and wellbeing studio: doha, qatar

Anab Jain | Director, Co-Founder, SuperfluxMarhaba

Friday, 8 April 2011

Marhaba everyone! (Hello in Arabic) Its a pleasure to be here at VCUQatar, and I’d like to thank Line, Muneera and Pornprapha for inviting me to lead the Health and Wellbeing Synapse Design Studio and the series of workshops, it has been a very exciting challenge!

Health and WellbeingSynapse Design Studio, VCUQatar

Let me start right from the beginning. Back in October last year, I was invited to lead the Synapse studio at VCUQatar kicked off, under the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ Topic. The studio had students from graphic design, fashion and interior design, and was conceived as a point of convergence, a chance for the students to work on a mulitdisciplinary project.

LOCAL FIELD VISIT

The students and I kicked off the studio by visiting various different hospitals, health clinics in an attempt to understand the landscape. Here in Doha, there are hospitals for men, women, and for people with different economic backgrounds. Some like this one, are on a very impressive scale, equivalent to a five star hotel. Local Qatari citizens get free surgeries, and some of the more popular ones have been in cosmetic enhancement.

Especially rhinoplasty, or what is more popularly known as the ‘nose job’.

A small surgery that requires you to be in the hospital only for a day, makes a significant difference to your appearance.

Stem cell bank still

Another medical centre that recently came up is the Virgin health bank, banking umbilical cord stem cells. This particular bank is of huge significance here in Qatar, because the country has one of the highest number of genetic disorders in the world.

In fact, to decrease the deformities the Government has made pre-marital examination compulsory.

Diabetes Walk, Qatar

Another reason for the bank is that Qatar also has a large number of people who suffer from diabetes, which is caused by a hereditary gene which is moving within a very small population.

As science and medical technology progresses in rapid steps, bringing possibilities to not just cure, but also significantly enhance the functions of our bodies, what would be the implications on our health and wellbeing?

CREATING THE DESIGN BRIEF:

So looking at these different aspects of the landscape - where on one side: Cheap, quick, painless cosmetic surgery has meant we whiten our teeth, remove excess fat, alter the shape of our nose, while on other, stem cell therapy is becoming commonplace, we formulated the key question for the design brief.

ECONOMICS | TECHNOLOGY | DESIRES

We identified three key factors - Economics, Technologies and our own human Desires - have created a space for something new to happen.

BEYOND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

This new space is a conceptual area, but also fast becoming a real market space that is almost ‘beyond health and wellbeing’ the way we understand. This is not to suggest that its a ‘good’ space, but its a new space, and will continue to open up. What sorts of products, services and experiences will occupy this space? And how will designers play a role in shaping this space? Lets take a moment to see what is happening in other parts of the world....

AIMEE MULLINS: ‘FUNCTIONAL’ ENHANCEMENT

This is Aimee Mullins, a very wellknown American amputee, athlete

And a fashion model!

And these are some of her 12 legs... she works closely with a fashion designer to create special prosthetics for different needs and occasions.

But not just Aimee anymore. Bespoke Prosthetics, is a company that designs and produces ‘good looking’ prosthetics for anyone who needs one. Clearly, designers are actively shaping this area.

How will you as designers address these questions within the context of Qatar?

Qatari Citizens (minority) Migrant WorkersExpats

Bringing it back to the studio the key question for the students was how would they rise to these societal changes within the context of Qatar. Given their field research, did they think that those with limitless access might indulge further, perhaps with a desire to buy into a new ‘enhanced lifestyle’ or even beat ageing? Or would the decreasing costs of these technologies allow all, even for those without much access, to ‘benefit’?

STUDIO OBJECTIVES:

• UNCOVER SOCIETAL CONCERNS

• ENGAGE IN CRITICAL THINKING

• EXPLORE WIDER IMPLICATIONS

The biggest thing this studio hoped to achieve was to work as a catalyst that would empower the students to uncover societal concerns, engage in critical thinking and explore implications of their work within the wider economic and technological changes. Ultimately this would directly impact their specific design projects that were going on simultaneously.

Zaina Abu Dayeh

One of my students, Zaina, interviewed lot of her friends around their aspirations for cosmetic enhancements. She found out that there was a need for a constant change in one’s appearance, either due to unspoken social pressures, or plain boredom. For instance, one of the girls was about to go for rhinoplasty so that the profile photographs of her wedding will look better.

Questions: “What is the perfect body?

“If medical technology allows you to have a perfect body would you try?”

Does you consider acquiring this ‘perfect body’ due to social pressures?”

Zaina Abu Dayeh

Context:“Woman are covered with Abbayeh; very little of the female body is shown.”

“It is getting more and more difficult to define a concept of contemporary beauty. In urban society, where the hunt for perfection begins at an early age and modified ‘plastic beauties’ wave from the covers of glossy magazines, humanity’s struggle for perfection appears almost limitless.”

The Theory of Divine Proportions

Zaina Abu Dayeh

She investigated further, and started drawing out the theory of divine proportions over photographs of her friends and interviewees.

Sketches: ‘The Device / Machine / Artefact’

She went on design a scanning service, that would allow people to see themselves post cosmetic enhancement. these are her early sketches of a machine, that people walk towards, and scan themselves:

screen grab of her device possibilities

SERVICES OFFERED:

At the scanner one could select one or more of these services. What is interesting about this is that by suggesting a device that lowers the barriers to cosmetic surgery still further - the device becomes an embodiment of these wider trends and allows people to engage with those trends in a totem. after making these prototype sketches she went back to the women she had interviewed earlier:

Video Interview 1

“Here in Doha, I know many friends, who from a very young age, they like to do surgeries, specially their nose and stuff... and it would be good to store a record of their faces before doing it, so that they dont get shocked.”

One of them said: “Here in Doha, I know many friends, who from a very young age, they like to do surgeries, specially their nose and stuff... and it would be good to store a record of their faces before doing it, so that they dont get shocked.”

Video Interview 2

After seeing an image of my face with perfect nose, I’d be convinced to change it. And if everyone who used the service felt the same way and would want to change themselves, then no one would be unique, and I think that’s something people should avoid.”

“After seeing an image of my face with perfect nose, I’d be convinced to change it. And if everyone who used the service felt the same way and would want to change themselves, then no one would be unique, and I think that’s something people should avoid.”

Video Interview 3

“After seeing those advertisements and posters, I am very keen to use this service. It gives people a view of what the outcome of the surgery might be, and seeing how it can produce a perfect human face, its much more encouraging to go and try it out.”

THE ‘IDEAL’ BODY

One of the key questions that Zaina’s work brought up was around humanity’s limitless struggle for the ideal body.

Yang Soon Elizabeth Ju

Her research focussed on interviews with expats, and increasing interest in the...

Stem cell bank still

...Virgin health bank, stem cell therapy in qatar, its side effects on our skin (making people look younger) and resulting impact on our identities.

How can fashion become a powerful tool to remind us of the fragility of our bodies?

How can design remind us that imperfection could be valuable?

How can designers be involved in an active debate around such technologies that will shape our futures?

Yang Soon Elizabeth Ju

Based on her research, Elizabeth raised the following questions:

Imperfection as Accessory Degeneration over Time An Ageless Society

Her response was a series of fashion accessories that raise critical questions about the nature of stem cell therapy and its consequences. With a large percentage of the population going in for stem cell therapy, she wonders if the side effects of this treatment could turn the cure into a fetish? If it could make you look ‘young’ and ‘hide the process of ageing’ would those without any ailments also want it? Through a series of fashions accessories she aims to draw attention to the fragility of our bodies, its relationship to disease, and the process of ageing.

IMPERFECTION AS ACCESSORY

The first by Elizabeth is aiming to raise questions about the growing genetic health concerns in Qatar. The inspiration for this exploration is Homocystinuria, which is one of the most common genetic disorders worldwide as well as in Qatar. One of the major symptoms include abnormally tall and thin spidery fingers, and longer than average limbs. Post stem cell therapy, when most of the population would have ‘perfect bodies’ - would fashion accessories be needed to create ‘imperfection’ and remind us of past genetic deformities?

DEGENERATON OVER TIMEFriday, 8 April 2011

Inspired by the small and numerous skin pricks that diabetes patients endure from daily injections, this dress has small luminescent dots on the waist where a diabetes patient might have had to make regular pricks. Post stem cell therapy, when people no longer suffer from diabetes, could fashion remind us of the fragility of our bodies?

AGELESS SOCIETY

The last piece by Elizabeth is conceived as an external body clock. This wearable artefact gently cracks over the lifetime of its owner, cracks revealing the ageing process. Designed for a scenario where stem cell therapy makes most of the population look visibly younger, would we perhaps need external devices to remind us of the passage of time?

AUGMENTATION / ENHANCEMENT

Elizabeth raised critical questions around the role of technology in generating desires for augmentation or enhancement.

* Wake up at 4:00 am

* 4:30 company transportation

* 11 pm sleep* 1 room 6 people (sometimes 10)

* No medical facilities

* no break time

* Salary 1400

* No insurance* Cut from salary to pay the agency 3000

* Not able to enjoy weekends because of stress

* Implicit knowledge of each other’s whereabouts.

Al Hussein Ahmed Wanas

Finally, my third student Hussein was working with migrant workers, speaking with them, even following them through their working days whenever he managed to get permissions.

“How can design enable migrant workers to escape from the daily mundane pressures of working life?”

Hussein quickly realised that he found himself in situations that were difficult, and much bigger then what he, as a designer had ever considered before. He wondered, how could design enable migrant workers to escape from the daily mundane pressures of working life?”

Could I create playful tools & services that might allow migrant workers to have the experience of momentarily being ‘Super Enhanced’?

Sketching out ideas - ranging from anti gravitational elevators to virtual identity and holographic pads. This is very much a work-in-progress at the moment.

ENHANCING HEALTH SERVICES

Hussein’s project brought the Studio’s third key question around ‘enhancing health services’

SYNAPSE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING DESIGN WORKSHOPS

And so finally, The learning, as well as the emergent themes from our Design Studio provided us with the framework for the three workshops that we lead during the Tasmeem Conference.

MY IDEAL BODY IS...

HEALTH AND WELLBEING WORKSHOP BY ANAB JAIN | SYNAPSE TASMEEM DOHA 2011 | VCUQATARPOSTERS DESIGNED BY CAROLINA VALLEJO AND ANAB JAIN, SUPERFLUX, LONDON | www.superflux.in

IF I HAD ONE DEVICE TO

ENHANCE MY BODY...

OPEN SOURCE POSTERS

The themes were translated into three open-source posters. Each poster posed a question, playful, yet provocative, inviting participants to annotate them.

And soon the participants began to warm up:

The poster that was empty on day 1, soon

Grew...

Till it was full of layers of ideas from people who were expressing hidden desires as well as deep fears. Playful and imaginative conversations began to emerge.

Let me share a few from each poster: “I’d like a smaller face and a higher neck.”

“Just a little less fat”

“wish I had longer, faster legs”

“even the ability to run 20 miles a day. doubled muscle tissue to increase physical strength, a smaller ribcage would be useful.”

“Wings maybe?”

“Fast growing hair”

even fangs!

Similarly a poster that posed the above question

Also grew steadily over the course of three days

And once again, lets zoom into some of the doodles

A mix of interesting themes emerged.

Lastly, the poster around health services

Had some quite interesting ideas too.

The one about free and equal health service for humans and animals sparked a big debate (with the Gulf context)

image?

These posters worked as ice breakers, helping strangers get to know each other quickly enough to actually be able to align thematically, and work together on micro design projects - they generated the energy that lead teams to quickly move into the...

THE MAKING!

Making phase! Pretty much like a ‘pressure project’ or a quick design project, designers and non designers worked alongside... to cross-pollinate ideas, concerns, hopes and desires.

Fun was had by all!

PRESENTATION TIME!

Each workshop lasted about 3.5 hours. Following the making and deliberating phase, all the groups spent the last 15 minutes presenting their ideas. (remember, lot of non-designers were participating, so this was a new experience, and they did very well!)

THE DESIGN IDEAS

Let me go through just few of the ideas that were presented!

HEAR WHAT YOU EAT

One group came up with ‘Hear What You Eat’ - A food sensor on the fingers that is connected to your ear, giving you instant information about the nutritious value of the food you eat -

Which gets triggered when you are about to tuck into fat burgers and triple-cheese pizzas!

MY IDEAL BODY WOULD BE INVISIBLE

This group declared that their ideal body was one that could be made invisible. So that they could go to the beach in a bikini rather then the Abbayah swimming costume, go on dates, to the disco and even steal from a bank.

DEVICES THAT HELP YOU FORGET

One group set about designing a set of devices that explored the concept of memory loss. Again it was a women-only group, raising a lot of concerns around freedom and experiences of trauma.

DEVICES THAT HELP YOU FORGET

Set of implants and fashion objects - depending on your situation you are given the device. From small memory losses to avoid information overload to dealing with deeper issues of trauma.

SUPER HERO TOOL KIT

One group set about designing a super hero tool kit, as a tool to explore the aspirations of the conference participants.

SELF-DIAGNOSTICS FOR PANDEMICS

In times of pandemics such as the swine flu, there is often a log of panic, and people are not clear about their symptoms. Hospitals on the other hand are unable to handle the crowds of people pouring in - could we create self diagnostic services that work as a ‘step in-between’?

LEGO HAND MODEL used for this rapid rendering.

PROSTHETIC VISION COMIC STRIP

This team presented a comic strip, about a prosthetic vision device that reveals hidden information from the environment and transmits it into your brain.

A WELLNESS SPACE FOR WOMEN

One of the groups designed a ‘wellness space’ - more like a free space where women can talk without any societal pressures. This idea came from a group of women from Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

A PROVOCATIVE BOARD GAME

A board game that helps ‘you create yourself one choice at a time’,

You pick from a lot of cards and ‘find yourself’

The Dice!

Individual cards on the board game decide your fate

THE MAKING OF A COLLABORATIVE FUTURE

A lot of these ideas might seem fantastical, scifi or downright silly. But more importantly, they became triggers for conversations, discussions about future hopes and our own ability to be involved in the making of this future. And this is possible, because, as designers, we have these exciting tools and processes, which can create active, generative, even positively disruptive engagements... sometimes leading to more amazing stuff!

EMERGING THEMES:

FIGHTING NATUREPLAYING WITH MAGICTACKLING CONTRADICTIONS

... can open up a new set of serious themes, they may or may not have considered.

COME IN AND TELL US...

And now, finally we invite you - the audience, to continue this conversation... this is the room you are looking for, on the first floor, come drop by...

Grab a pen,

and get involved!

www.superflux.in | Twitter: @Superflux

Shukran

Thank you!

health and wellbeing studio: doha, qatar

new space

almostbeyond health

virgin health bank

wellbeing synapsedesign

design brief

studio objectives

thesynapse studio

graphic design

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