A set of computational jewels to connect people in the early stage of dementia with their partner in punctual moments of stress or anxiety, acting as an emotional crutch only when necessary. Sarang is based on understanding people with dementia and provides them a tool to destigmatize and empower both members of the couple without limiting any of them.

DESIGN PROCESS

Briefing

This project, carried out in collaboration with the Japanese company People Design Institute, consisted on reducing the emotional and mental stress to which people with dementia and their informal caregivers —that is, family or friends— are exposed as the syndrome progresses.

- original design brief

The evolution of dementia is not linear. Fortunately today, there are medical treatments and activities that stimulate the brain that can slow down the progression of dementia, although specialists consider that there is nothing better for the patient than trying to cope with his or her daily life independently.

INTERVIEWS

A series of interviews with caregivers and professionals served to comprehend the emotional rollercoaster after the diagnosis. In most cases, people with dementia are described as dependents even when they have not lost most of their capabilities. Although dementia may progress to such stage, people can have an active life for long periods of time.

Panic attack after panic attack, people with dementia isolate themselves from the world in an effort to stay safe and not become a danger for themselves and their loved ones. The consequences of this in the progression of dementia are enormous.

If we could manage to provide people with dementia with a tool that helps them overcome an episode of memory loss or disorientation, we could be able to empower them to keep up with their daily lives and, by doing this, even delay the progression of dementia.

IDEATIOn - using heartbeat as stimuli

The product should embody an easy and discrete interaction by simulating physicalness between both users through a particular stimuli, overcoming fear and encouraging the patient to continue his or her daily routine. The inflection point of this project actually came with the discovery of which stimuli to use: heartbeat.

A literature research confirmed that perceiving the partner’s pulse provides a positive response in the person suffering any stressful situation. This effect is potentiated by the romantic meaning that connects love, the emotion, with the heart of someone in current societies. 

SARANG

Sarang is a smart product aimed to enhance people with dementia and his or her partners. The whole system is made of two interconnected jewels that can be used as a necklace or as a keychain depending on the user’s preference.

Each jewel can record someone’s pulse. When touching the jewel, the person will receive a stimulus —the partner's heartbeat— that will serve as a support to overcome any crisis, while notifying his or her partner. When both of them are holding Sarang the red led thread turns on, so they are ‘together’ through the jewels. 

Sarang improves not only the interaction between the person with dementia and his or her couple, but it also creates a new way of communication supported by the emotional ties between both partners. 

In November 2017, I was invited to present Sarang during the Super Welfare Expo in Tokyo, Japan. People Design Institute demonstrated a great interest on the project and the results of the user test performed afterwards offered promising results proving the envisioned effect of the set of jewels.