An ageing population presents key challenges for health services. This exhibition showcases how design can make a positive contribution to our healthcare. There is growing interest and recognition of the potential for design to contribute to the transformation of healthcare providing safer and more economical healthcare products, environments and services. While science has contributed to increased life expectancy design may also and importantly contribute to the quality of that extended life.

The exhibition ‘Can Design Save your Life?’ will showcase design projects from the Lab4Living team and is part of the Sheffield Design Week (23rd June - 29th June).

Example projects include: the design of a safer medical connection system; an innovative neck collar for people who suffer from Motor Neuron Disease; wearable health monitoring technology; design of hospital equipment that reduces risk of infection; an inclusive approach to the design of a ‘future bathroom’; the role of photography to explore the experiences of older people living in care settings and an ‘open design’ approach to develop a product to assist in the self management of chronic conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis.