Latest news
- ‘Head Up’ developing new neck supports
- Design Futures sponsors Medilink Innovation Award
- Design 4 Health Conference and Exhibition 2011
- Dragon Boat Simulator
- Engagingaging in London
- Engagingaging exhibition at MOCA studio Taipei
- Claire makes it a hat trick
- Design competition and workshop
- Our very own Claire Craig wins national Teaching Award…
- Lab4Living Field Lab – promoting interdisciplinary research
Background
He with body waged a fight,
But body won; it walks upright.
Then he struggled with the heart;
Innocence and peace depart.
Then he struggled with the mind;
His proud heart he left behind.
Now his wars on God begin;
At stroke of midnight God shall win.
W.B. Yeats from Supernatural Songs 1934
Lab4Living is a partnership between researchers in health and design, between practitioners and designers and, most importantly between individuals who use products and services and the designers of these. Yeats’ poem captures the essence of our approach which addresses the physical, the emotional and psychological, the intellectual and the spiritual challenges facing individuals across the lifespan. However, Yeats’ poem suggests a sequential process. That as one gets older these issues come up one after another. Whilst we firmly believe that these challenges can actually crop up at any time in life at the same time or independently.
The original concept was the joint brainchild of Professor Gail Mountain and Professor Paul Chamberlain, founders and co-directors of Lab4Living who recognised the resonances between the work they were leading in their respective research centres: those of Health and Wellbeing and Art and Design within Sheffield Hallam University. Initial discussion around the Lab began in 2004, reaching fruition in 2007 when Lab4Living formally came into being. In a relatively short time the work has already grown as the team has grown and new initiatives have been established
The future
Since then the Lab has gone from strength to strength. Claire Craig describes the development in the following way ‘Our passion, approaches and ways of looking at design in the context of meeting the needs of individuals have complemented each other beautifully. Paul and Gail have drawn together a team of researchers, each of whom offer a slightly different perspective. This provides us with a strong foundation on which to build as we move into new and exciting areas for development. It is a brilliant place to work.’