Ways of Seeing Invisible Illness
November 2021
University of Strathclyde
Young Academy of Scotland
︎︎︎Positive Self-Identity Through Fashion
︎︎︎Beyond Stigma and Empathy
In 2022, YAS and GSA launched the ‘Ways of Seeing Invisible Illness’ Crossover project to explore more tangible ways of understanding people’s experiences of living and working with invisible conditions. Our initial workshop included scientific or health experts as well as those working in the areas of design and social sciences. Together participants discussed the conditions to make tangible as well as the effects of hidden diseases on individuals and communities.
Participants identified the challenges they wished to change around invisible illness and, using design-based approaches to make the intangible understandable, proposed ideas of how these could be positively addressed. This process highlighted several core themes, including: the impacts of stigma due to a lack of understanding; ways to empower individuals to positively express identity with their conditions; and the potential to distribute support needs and awareness across support networks and services in more patient-centred ways.
These ideas seeded two new Ways of Seeing Invisible Illness pilot projects ‘Beyond Stigma & Empathy’ and ‘Positive Self-Identity Through Fashion’. Explore the links above to view the creative commissions that responded to these briefs.
University of Strathclyde
Young Academy of Scotland
︎︎︎Positive Self-Identity Through Fashion
︎︎︎Beyond Stigma and Empathy
In 2022, YAS and GSA launched the ‘Ways of Seeing Invisible Illness’ Crossover project to explore more tangible ways of understanding people’s experiences of living and working with invisible conditions. Our initial workshop included scientific or health experts as well as those working in the areas of design and social sciences. Together participants discussed the conditions to make tangible as well as the effects of hidden diseases on individuals and communities.
Participants identified the challenges they wished to change around invisible illness and, using design-based approaches to make the intangible understandable, proposed ideas of how these could be positively addressed. This process highlighted several core themes, including: the impacts of stigma due to a lack of understanding; ways to empower individuals to positively express identity with their conditions; and the potential to distribute support needs and awareness across support networks and services in more patient-centred ways.
These ideas seeded two new Ways of Seeing Invisible Illness pilot projects ‘Beyond Stigma & Empathy’ and ‘Positive Self-Identity Through Fashion’. Explore the links above to view the creative commissions that responded to these briefs.
For more project information,
please contact Elio Caccavale or
Dr Michael Pierre Johnson:
- e.caccavale@gsa.ac.uk
- m.johnson@gsa.ac.uk
please contact Elio Caccavale or
Dr Michael Pierre Johnson:
- e.caccavale@gsa.ac.uk
- m.johnson@gsa.ac.uk
