Phase 1

Phase 1

PillarPlace Regenerated

Mosaic Landscapes

Board game that engages communities in co-designing inclusive healthcare gardens to enhance health and wellbeing

PillarPeople Empowered

The Green Ward Toolkit

Co-designing tools and education with hospital staff to empower them to implement new sustainable practices

PillarMaterials Reimagined

Reusable Theatre Caps

Co-designing and introducing eco-friendly, reusable theatre caps at NHS Golden Jubilee

PillarMaterials Reimagined

Sustainable Scrubs

Improving hospital scrubs through design interventions to enhance staff comfort and dignity

Thematic Project

Recycling of Polyester Textiles

Investigating the feasibility of recycling polyester textiles

PillarPlace Regenerated

Rhythms and Rhymes

Exploring the collective health impacts of individual energy-use behaviors in UK households

PillarMaterials Reimagined

Making Compression Work

Enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with lipoedema

Thematic Project

Medi-Flax

Creating a sustainable textile economy for healthcare by utilising local natural fibres

Thematic Project

The Fabric of Matter

Turning potential plastic waste into sustainable resources

Thematic Project

Future Foresight: Scenario Planning for Travel

Reducing the environmental impact of NHS Scotland’s travel by enhancing vehicle fleet efficiency, promoting vehicle recycling, and increasing active travel infrastructure

PillarPlace Regenerated

Seeing the Invisible: designing for indoor air quality (IAQ)

Enhancing indoor air quality in healthcare environments while addressing environmental impacts

Thematic Project

Heat the Human

Advancing thermal management in healthcare by developing advanced “heat the human” textiles and clothing systems, tailored for NHS Scotland users

PillarsMaterials Reimagined, Place Regenerated

Pharmaceutical Waste 

Reducing Waste and Supporting Responsible Disposal

Affiliated Project

Diagnostic Discard

Prototyping plastic alternatives in diagnostic tests

PillarPeople Empowered

Flow

An interactive game for NHS Scotland staff to visualise patient flow through hospitals, with a focus on urgent and semi-urgent care pathways at NHS Tayside

Thematic Project

Working from Home

Empowering home-based workers to contribute actively to NHS Scotland net-zero objectives

Design Challenge Project

Clamping Down on Single Use Products

Developing a reusable IV roller clamp that can be attached to and removed from existing IV sets

Design Challenge Project

The Helping Hand

Redesigned ventilator arm that improves usability for NHS staff while reducing plastic waste through recyclable components

Design Challenge Project

Specialised Lingerie Tailored for Women with Stomas

Lingerie that empowers women with stomas through discreet, confidence-boosting design, normalising ostomy surgery and supporting holistic wellbeing

Design Challenge Project

BoardEasy: Wheelchair Train Boarding Aid

Wheelchair boarding aid that enhances train accessibility by enabling independent, ramp-free boarding for users

PillarMaterials Reimagined

Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Maternity Wards

Cutting emissions through in-situ gas breakdown at hospitals

Thematic Project

Circulate: Reimagining a Climate-Resilient NHS Scotland

Using speculative design to reimagine how NHS Scotland responds to climate change

Design Challenge Project

Cutting Emissions, Not Connections

Adaptive reuse of vacant buildings into low-carbon health hubs for climate and war displaced refugees

Design HOPES is a collaborative design-led research initiative, comprising five Scottish Universities (University of Strathclyde, University of Dundee, Heriot Watt University, Abertay University, and the University of Edinburgh), NHS Scotland, the third sector, and design organisations.

This project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of the Future Observatory GTE Hub Programme at the Design Museum [grant number AH/Y00373X/1].

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