Final Thesis Presentations MDes2020 | Srushti Sanjay Kulkarni

Supervisor: Eugenia Bertulis
Internal Reviewer: Hélène Day Fraser
External Reviewer: Beayue Louie

An ageing population leads to challenges in long-term care homes such as social isolation in multi-cultural communities. Before the research project, while working in Mumbai, India, I observed seniors’ social isolation in long-term care homes. I recognized similarities in isolation amongst seniors between the Indian and Canadian care homes - the vast management difference in the seniors’ quality of life and policies.

As part of my MDes research, I also visited De Hogeweyk (dementia village) in the Netherlands. I used methods like observational research, fly on the wall, and interviews. I explored the making of iterative design objects and experiences for human-human and human-nature connections.

This thesis describes design research activities and prototypes, such as guided outdoor walking and reflection practices that used peer designers as proxy participants for service design workshops. This thesis work includes historical perspectives and personal reflection on nature-human connections described in the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and practiced in traditional Japanese Ikebana.

One significant insight from the research was that experiencing time in nature might give us a different perspective to consider the institutional challenges, whether in India, Canada or the Netherlands. More impor- tantly, through this research, I realized that nature, space, memory and social connection are interconnected, intricately woven together to help humans survive both independently and with fellowship.