Late grandparents inspire Singapore Poly students’ projects

26 Mar 2018

Article featured SP’s Diploma in Interior Design student, Terence Thong and SP’s Diploma in Experience and Product Design student, Edwind Tan, who shared about their final-year projects. Terence shared his experience of caring for his grandmother with dementia, which spurred him to design Forget Us Not, a unique community care centre for dementia patients and their caregivers. The centre has a sensory room for patients and interactive walls that reveal a visual and textile change to help patients navigate. He also designed a space for caregivers to communicate and seek help from one another. Edwind, who designed a wheelchair that tackles key issues such as comfort, independence and stability, was inspired by his late grandfather who was diabetic and had both limbs amputated. He had observed how his late grandfather had difficulties transferring himself from his wheelchair to the bed, and how the flat hammock seat caused pressure on his tailbone. Edwind also spoke to patients and nurses from Gleneagles Hospital before creating his prototype, which includes a customised curved seat and a redesigned wheel that elevates the wheelchair to the height of the user’s bed frame. There are also side panels to the armrests that serve as a bridge for easy transfer from the wheelchair to the bed. Both of their projects were among the 150 showcased at the annual SP Design School graduation exhibition. [The New Paper, p19]