THE FUTURE PERFECT COMPANY
The Future Perfect Company supports and promotes creative businesses and has a focus on ageing through its flagship student design project, Designing for the Future.
Founded by former lawyer, Philippa Aldrich in 2009, the company has run the Designing for the Future project for hundreds of UK design students and supported many graduates and start up creative businesses through the DFF Network.
Launch of Flo, the Salvador Dali of walking sticks
A new walking and standing stick is about to be launched into the independent living sector by REthinkthings Ltd, a design led product brand led by Ilsa Parry who originally designed the product whilst being filmed for a BBC reality documentary. “Flo” moves away from “traditional “medical” aesthetics in its design and actively seeks to introduce a new visual language to the industry”. It was conceived by Ilsa Parry when she took part in (and won) “Design for Life” , a student design competition run with Philippe Starck who dubbed it the “Salvador Dali stick”. “Flo” strives to offer an alternative tool for transfer and
Can design improve the lives of people with dementia?
Can design improve the lives of people living with dementia? This is one of the questions posed by the latest Design Council Challenge. Last week, I went to the Design Council to see the winning projects which range from a dementia support dog to an appetite stimulator. As it is now predicted that as many as one in three of us will experience some form of dementia before we die, this is a very timely project. Dementia Dog Dementia Dog is a service providing assistance dogs to people with dementia, helping them lead more fulfilled, independent and stress-free lives.
Good Care Guide – “Trip Advisor” for Care Homes
Many of us caring for older parents will have at some stage to contemplate finding them a care home. Unless you can rely on some local knowledge or better still, a friend’s recommendation, this is not an easy task. Whilst the Care Quality Commission can provide a list of homes registered in your area and copies of their inspection reports, it is then up to you to visit and decide whether the home is appropriate to your parents’ needs. Today’s launch of the “Good Care Guide” website aims to help this process. Developed by two social enterprises, My Family Care and United for All
RSA Design Awards – Mine for Life
2012 is turning out to be a very busy year! As well as running my own "Designing for the Future" competition with the Faculty of Arts, University of Brighton, I have also been invited to judge the RSA Student Design Awards and in particular the Mine for Life category. The Mine for Life competition challenges students to design an assistive technology product which can be made through additive manufacturing using a consumer-driven and people-centred design philosophy. There is a cash award supported by Enabled by Design and Loughborough University - and very excitingly, the chance to have the winning
Inclusive design – luxury or “must have”? Guest blog for Age UK
I have just written a post for the Age UK blog, "Inclusive Design - luxury or "must have"", ahead of the Agenda for Later Life 2012 conference where I will be speaking about inclusive design. In these times of austerity, I think it is easy to dismiss design as a luxury. However, if we pause and think for a moment about what good and, in particular inclusive, design, can deliver for us, very quickly it becomes a "must have". To read the blog in full, go to http://ageukblog.org.uk/2012/02/11/inclusive-design-luxury-or-must-have/ For details about the Agenda for Later Life 2012
Jigsaw Club – older people doing for themselves
Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Eve, my friend now in her 90s, who is tackling getting older with considerable aplomb. This week I learnt of her latest project. Eve was speaking to a friend who runs a charity shop which had a great many donated jigsaws. Whilst the jigsaws were popular, the volunteers simply did not have time to check that all the pieces of each puzzle were in the box so the jigsaws often languished in the stock room. Up steps Eve who suggests that she could get together a group of friends who would happily check