Master of Design
thesis Research
Sensory Cards: Fostering Empathy and Connection within Community Groups
This thesis project navigated from the broader context of community building to the local and personal space of relationships. It explored the potential of dialogic artifacts as a means for building empathy and connection within community groups.
Psychologists and group facilitators were engaged through participatory design methods and brought important insights on how artifacts can support empathy in human interactions. This research led to the Sensory Cards, a set of visual and tactile cards designed to facilitate the communication of feelings and emotions in community groups.
PHASE 1: Research Methodology
PHASE 2: Participatory Research
PHASE 3: Design Process and Outcome
Thesis project developed for the Master of Design program at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, 2017
Health Design Research
Autism Spectrum Disorder
The Pacific Autism Family Centre Network has a vision to create an environment where autism researchers and clinicians can come together to bring current, evidence-led best practices to families and adults living with ASD.
They engaged the Health Design Lab (HDL) at Emily Carr University of Art + Design to further develop a deep understanding of family needs as well as probe for a family-centric perspective on research.
YEAR 1: Connecting Family Needs to ASD Research in BC
YEAR 2: Bringing Researchers and Families Together in the Autism Spectrum Disorders Community
A Collaboration between the Health Design Lab at Emily Carr University and the Pacific Autism Family Network.