Dementia Lab 2017: Stories from design and research

6-7 September 2017, Dortmund

From academic papers to storytelling, this year's event invites submissions which explore what it means to design for people with dementia.

A non-exhaustive list of themes/areas to explore are:

• Reflections on the integration of designs in a care environment
• Ethical considerations when designing for and together with persons with dementia
• Dealing with practical issues when working with vulnerable user groups
• How to involve persons with dementia in design (participatory design)
• Finding new forms of communication when verbal communication is a challenge

Submissions will be reviewed and the selection will be made based on the quality and appropriateness of the submission to the themes suggested and the expected audience. We highly encourage submissions to support each story with visual material. All accepted and presented submissions will be published in the event proceedings.

Guidelines for the following submission types are as follows:

• PAPER - 4-8 pages (+ visual material)

Papers are more reflective in nature. Though based on practical experience in designing for/with persons with dementia, they focus mainly on creating and sharing the knowledge in method, ethics, communication.

• STORY - 4 pages (+visual material)

Stories will be more exploratory and try to showcase experiments; experiences and good and bad practices in designing for and with persons with dementia. A story offers a personal perspective.

• WORKSHOP PROPOSAL - 2p (+ visual material)

All workshops proposals should implement a practical hands-on approach where discussion and interaction with all participants on the topic at hand is most important. The workshop proposals serve as thought provoking documents that both draw the attention of the participants and form the outline for the discussion at the event. The workshop proposal provides info on planning, topic and setup of the workshop. A workshop can take up no longer than two hours and must cater for max 20 people.

• DEMO-PRESENTATION - 1p + visual material

The demo-presentations are a chance to showcase a design created for/with persons with dementia. The submitted document must be clear what the accompanying story with the demo is and should provide an indication on how the demo will be presented in a mini-exhibition.

• POSTER PRESENTATION - 1p + poster

The poster-presentations are a chance to showcase a design, experience, course, workshop, etc. created for/with persons with dementia. The submitted document must be clear what the accompanying story.

Submissions due 12 June 2017.

More information at the Dementia Lab website.