Designing for People with Dementia: A Portuguese Case Study

This article reports design practices for People with Dementia carried out within a curricular context between September 2021 and January 2022. The project was developed from a collaboration between Alzheimer Portugal, and the Lusófona University, Porto, through the Communication Design BA. Based on the case study of the Memória de Mim Day Care Centre (a service from Alzheimer Portugal), it aimed to create signage and cognitive stimulation materials inspired by Portuguese culture and biographical components of the Centre’s users. Research has shown the need for design intervention in the creation of artefacts aimed at People with Dementia, given the scarcity of materials in this area in Portugal. This project is a starting point to fill this gap in the Portuguese market, while aiming to introduce contents in the field of Social Design to design students, an area less addressed in current courses. The materials developed benefited the Centre’s community, contributing to cognitive stimulation activities and moments of sociability among users with dementia. The project also benefited the students by providing a real work context and highlighting the importance of their role in society as designers. A larger project is now under study, integrating various Alzheimer Portugal services and university contexts, aiming to research and create further cognitive stimulation artefacts targeted at People with Dementia in Portugal. We believe that a more focused study on biographical components and vernacular culture of these people will contribute significantly to improve their health and well-being.