DHYAN, a meditative light
Brief: Redesigning a light for the elderly to help them to sleep better at night.
User: 70 - 80 year old
Project Duration: 6 months (1st October 2018 - 26th April 2019)
Brief: Redesigning a light for the elderly to help them to sleep better at night.
User: 70 - 80 year old
Project Duration: 6 months (1st October 2018 - 26th April 2019)
Introduction: With elderly population growing every year, India is poised to becoming the home to the 2nd largest number of older people in the world! With the stats growing, they're also prone to be at a higher risk of developing a mental disorder.
Problem: i) Mental health among the elderly is often stigmatized, as they have a different thinking pattern and feel that having anxiety or depression is abnormal.
ii) Any event which has left them in distress or traumatized (such as a loss of a loved one, natural disaster or an accident), can take a toll on their mental health, and affect their overall health.
iii) Quite often, their mental health is under diagnosed by health professionals and is mistaken for the symptom of their physical ailments.
ii) Any event which has left them in distress or traumatized (such as a loss of a loved one, natural disaster or an accident), can take a toll on their mental health, and affect their overall health.
iii) Quite often, their mental health is under diagnosed by health professionals and is mistaken for the symptom of their physical ailments.
Coping with anxiety: One of the ways they deal with anxiety is talking to their friends about it while walking or by sitting at the park bench, meditating or listening to music on the radio.
Pictures above: Elderly talking among themselves, discussing various topics.
Source: Self
Source: Self
Inspiration: Going back to the insights that I had collected, the most important insight I had collected was that meditation was the easiest and the safest method to reduce their anxious mind, especially practicing Zen.
Zen meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice, which encourages the practitioners to take in deep breaths and focus on the movement of their belly. Not only it provides an insight about how the mind works it also reduces anxiety and depression symptoms, blood pressure and more restorative sleep.
Below, is the inspiration board of Zen, which captures the essence of Zen.
Zen meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice, which encourages the practitioners to take in deep breaths and focus on the movement of their belly. Not only it provides an insight about how the mind works it also reduces anxiety and depression symptoms, blood pressure and more restorative sleep.
Below, is the inspiration board of Zen, which captures the essence of Zen.
Final concept sketch + 3D Rendering (SolidWorks 2018):
Product: A small bedside lamp was designed, keeping in mind the essence of Zen. The small white dome depict the Zen stones, while the curvy lines depict the wavelengths made in sand. Buddhist monks often made such patterns on sand by using a small rake or using their fingers.
Product manufacture: The parts were made on AutoCad and were then laser cut to get a smoother finish. A small circuit was made for the light to be turned on in a certain pattern and was secured inside the base. Polishing and varnishing was done once all the pieces was put together.
Product manufacture: The parts were made on AutoCad and were then laser cut to get a smoother finish. A small circuit was made for the light to be turned on in a certain pattern and was secured inside the base. Polishing and varnishing was done once all the pieces was put together.
Dimensions: 3.5 inches X 8 inches X 8 inches
Final Product:
Final Product:
Key takeaways: Engaging with my target audience and their family members has helped me to understand their pain points better, despite the generational gap. This was just one of the methods I had researched on, which might help the elderly to calm down and have sound sleep. There is no harm in seeking professional/medical help in case their mental health worsens.
