Premise:
Within the context of Qatar, and the set of interviews that the students did initially, it seems evident that we are looking at two groups of people who have radically different access to facilities, as well as perceptions of, health and wellbeing. While one group is wealthy, living a comfortable (if not lavish) lifestyle and has access to the best medical facilities that are available, the other group consists of workers who are deprived and living under extremely unhealthy conditions. Free rhinoplasty and tummy tuck operations are available for local Qataris. The desire to constantly 'change' the way you look is part of the lavish culture, supported by rise in high-tech medical facilities.
This project asks the students to put this field research within the context of the themes and questions below, and identify a specific focus to respond to:
Beyond Healthcare:
As science and medical technology progresses in rapid steps, bringing possibilities to not just cure, but also significantly enhance the functions of our bodies, what would be the implications on our health and wellbeing?
Cheap, quick, painless cosmetic surgery has meant we whiten our teeth, remove excess fat, alter the shape of our nose, and even go on game shows for the chance of winning expensive, invasive cosmetic surgery. While this is a universal phenomenon, Qatar seems to have embraced this trend significantly, even though social circumstances may not allow women to show off their 'altered or enhanced' bodies. What is it that people seek by undergoing such transformations? Today's technology takes this desire to a completely new level. Soon we might be able to lengthen our legs, chemically enhance our mental ability, inject stem cells in our bodies to kills life threatening diseases, remove the wrinkles from our faces and perhaps even genetically modify ourselves to become stronger, faster, more resilient to wear and tear and ultimately live longer. Are we moving from ‘health care’ to ‘enhancement care’?
Three key factors - Economics, Technologies and Desires have created something ‘beyond healthcare’, they have created a space for something new to happen. This is not to suggest that its a ‘good’ space, but its a new space, and will continue to open up. Who will inhabit this space? What kinds of experiences, products and services might inhabit this space? How will these spaces cut across gender, race, and economic barriers? For instance, given your field research, do you think that those with limitless access indulge further, perhaps with a desire to buy into a new ‘enhanced lifestyle’ or even beat aging? Or would the decreasing costs of these technologies allow all, even for those without much access, to ‘benefit’?
How can you as designers situate the implications of these technological advances into broader society, and with the context of Qatar?
Start the project by identifying one point of focus that jumps up at you, do field research supported by primary research and begin sketching possible interventions. By the end of this project we must have a tangible designed intervention that either provokes people to raise a set of questions about the nature of our current aspirations around our health and bodies - in the context of emerging technologies, or creates a new experience.
Exercises and project methodology:
- Identify your theme, and a focus within it.
- Come up with a set of proposals around your focus, using words, photographs and videos from your research to support this focus.
- Start sketching your ideas around your selected area... and we will build up from there.
- After next Thursday, we will narrow down on an area, and a strategy to move forwards.
Possible directions you could think of:
- Could the outcome be a fashion show that ‘showcases’ this ‘enhancement cure’?
- Could it be a set of technologically enhanced ‘fashion products’ or garments?
- Could it be a set of aspirational posters from a near future where the technologies have proliferated?
- Could it be a new kind of a ‘health clinic’ in Doha? Would you present this clinic as a performance? Or would you design a website, and a service to show us how it worked, who would go there, how would they be treated, what is being offered and so on?
Throughout the project, we ask you to make good use of this blog at for posting ideas, work-in-progress and research. Please use the tag “vcuhealth” to tag photos, videos and links on other networks.
(More updates to follow as the projects progress. Also the students have been blogging about their interviews and directions they are heading in.)
