Bridging LIFE
Bridging LIFE
In response to the global pandemic, IDEXLab has gone virtual.
While the projects we planned to execute in 2020 had to be put on hold, IDEXLab is working hard to push the boundaries of virtual collaboration. Each team is putting their design thinking skills to practical use during this time of uncertainty working to solve some of the unexpected problems that arose as a result of the global pandemic.
Meet the Teams
Our team is focusing on the needs of homeless individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The homeless population is hit harder than most during any disaster and face numerous challenges daily, but are especially at-risk during this time. These populations rely on social interaction, the very types of interactions organizations like WHO and the CDC advise against, in order to gain access to resources such as food, shelter, and hygienical care. This reliance brings with it an inherent risk. By providing these individuals with personal shelter and safe resource access, we can reduce their risk of contracting and quickly spreading COVID-19 throughout the homeless community, while addressing other economical, social, and health challenges.
Pandemic at the disco!
There is a lack of an appropriate working environment for employees because they are being forced to work from home on such short notice. A solution needs to be created to help these individuals have a more functional at-home working environment.
Statement: How can we provide an engaging, hands-on learning experience for elementary school students at home?
Description: Because schools are out, some children aren't being pushed to exercise subjects like P.E, art, science and other hands-on learning subjects. They also are forced to study and concentrate at home where there may be lots of distractions. We are focusing on providing 3rd-5th graders a cost sensitive, fort-kit that allows them to enhance their engineering and other enhancement skills by giving them the opportunity to build a structure that they can then use as a "safe haven" to study or focus in.
PROBLEM STATEMENT: That Front line Employees are stuck between completing their professional obligations and protecting their families from possible COVID contamination, thus, adding stress to a traumatic predicament. Therefore the application of therapy must be used to address their mental and emotional wellbeing.
How can we create an experience to encourage more business for local dining with the restrictions of social distancing?
Our team is looking at how we might reduce exposure to Covid-19 by providing options to grow food at home for individuals lacking the proper environment for outdoor growing.
Our concept is to create a booklet on ways that we can increase resilience to future events like the Covid-19 pandemic with integrated design solutions for growing produce indoors, with options for various levels of mobility and various types of plants.
Societal awareness of public cleanliness has significantly increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading people to feel unsafe participating in everyday activities that require going into crowded public spaces, such as grocery stores. Therefore, our project will explore ways to improve public cleanliness through the elimination of touchpoints and crowding in grocery stores. Our project also seeks to highlight the importance of the nutritional transparency of food to encourage clean, healthy, and local eating habits. Through research and design practices, our team strived to encourage an increased sense of cleanliness throughout the grocery store experience.
COVID-19 patients put other patients in a hospital at risk. Due to the fact COVID patients are more of a priority, most essential/profitable surgeries have slowed, creating financial strife and job insecurity within the healthcare system.
How might we provide comfort, hope, and dignity to those experiencing implications due to COVID-19?
Graduate Assistants
