Studio H: Bertie County

With a brief to explore innovations in the area of space design and placemaking, we decided to look at low-cost and low-entry-barrier solutions that would allow us to engage the local population in public consultations.

Education for children with visual impairment has always been more expensive than for sighted children. Two primary reasons are scarcity of special educators and affordable tactile learning material. Of the 19 million children with visual impairment, 90% live in low income settings and are trapped in a cycle of poverty due to limited access to education, and consequently, employment opportunities.

Stroke costs Swedish society 8 billion dollars yearly. Studies also show that stroke is increasing among young adults. Of these, it is mainly women who are affected. Patients get treatment at the hospital rehab centers, however, the real challenge starts in their home environment where they have less or no support from the healthcare professionals. The project aims to find new ways to rehabilitate stroke patients in their homes, as the number of patients increases and staff resources decreases as a worrying trend. The concept focuses on the two main key insights from the user research: to provide motivation and insight for the patient when retaining an independent rehabilitation.

Behind the glamour and entertainment of live events there is always a production crew working fast to manage multiple people and data points in an often linear and disconnected environment. Seeing the big picture is difficult, and a lot of hours of manual labor are required to keep track of everything. Balls get dropped, errors get made, and work that needs to be accurate, fast, and on time, eventually turns into a debacle.

While typically not represented by keepsakes, memories of food are some of my strongest. Last year I tried to bring a feeling of comfort back to the isolated existence I experienced in America in the midst of a global pandemic, through food and cooking. Working with spices common in my family’s recipes and incorporating them into a textile allowed me to capture the comfort of scent; just the smell of a spice can trigger fond, powerful memories and transport you to a specific place and time. As a textile designer, I used food and sensorial memories to make home almost palpable- within reach. Through the magic of fragrance, I not only wanted to invite people to experience the warmth of my kitchen, but wanted to design a fabric that they could take, easily transport and use in their own spaces to comfort themselves when they felt isolated. Woven on the Jacquard Loom, Aromatics is an amalgamation of technology and handiwork. The textile is filled with spices commonly used in my family's Indian recipes. Designed with a complex woven structure to form a transparent 3-D gauze weave, pockets are woven in to the fabric that can be filled. Aromatics was made to be hung on a wall with the intention to fill up a space with warmth and envelope it in the aroma of spices. Interactive, sensorial and comforting- This textile is the materialisation of nostalgia through food.

ReadyForZero is a free, online financial program that helps people get out of debt. It automatically pulls in all their financial data, helps them make a plan, and tracks their progress as they change their financial behavior for the better. The tool focuses on using research-based, data-driven, and user-tested design to empower people. It takes an aging industry of debt relief and applies new technology to make both people and banks happier.

HOAS Pasila, located in Central Helsinki, provides a home for 250 foreign students. The residents are mostly European exchange students who come to study at one of the higher education institutions surrounding Helsinki. For many of them, the building is their first home as well as their first taste of Finland. The building is a 1970’s architectural gem, which was falling into disrepair. The lack of feeling of ownership led to some problems - like misuse of the building and its facilities. Our challenge was to make this building feel like home. With a little colorful chalkboard paint and some bold typography, we made the interiors part of the architecture and a vibrant space for living. We painted the hallways from floor to ceiling, turning them into chalkboards, instead of forbidding writing on the walls, we began promoting it. As a result, the building became an interactive participant in the student community: “talking” to its residents, encouraging them to get to know each other and do things together, creating a unique environment they could call their own.

Throughout our lives, we amass a myriad of personal belongings, from the teddy bear we received at birth, to the new shoes we bought last week. As our belongings accumulate, it is inevitable for some items to stop serving us, whether it be a shirt that’s no longer our style, or an old toy we no longer play with. However, just because an item no longer serves us does not mean it cannot serve someone else. Whome helps pre-loved items find a home where they can be appreciated and cherished once again.

Pigzbe is a (very) smart device that teaches kids 6+ the value of money in a digital world. It's one of the first-ever family products built using the blockchain.

Skype in the classroom is a free service for teachers that allows them to collaborate with each other, bring guest speakers to their classrooms, and take children on virtual field trips.