As part of a collaboration with Virtual Design Festival, architect Stiliyana Minkovska will host a discussion about designing for pregnancy and childbirth.
The talk is the second instalment of today’s Design Museum takeover of VDF, which features four virtual events curated by the museum’s 2019 Designers in Residence – Minkovska, Malé Uribe, Marta Giralt and Robert Johnson.
Minkovska will be joined by design historian Catharine Rossi, writer and critic Shehnaz Suterwalla and London-based designer Ab Rogers, who will share a variety of design projects and personal experiences pertaining to motherhood.
The topic of the discussion stems from Minkovska’s project, Ultima Thule. Born out of her Design Museum residency, the project comprises a trio of undulating chairs designed to facilitate the different stages of childbirth.
In response to the dismal hospital rooms she encountered whilst in labour with her daughter, Minkovska designed Ultima Thule to transform the ostensibly clinical maternity ward into a more comforting environment for parents.
Her research forms the departure point for the panellists, who will discuss how motherhood has been an historical blindspot for the design industry and how architecture and objects can empower child-bearers.
Rossi will present a range of women-led innovations at the intersection of motherhood and activism, including a biodegradable pregnancy test, a silent breast pump and an instagram account advocating more diverse representations of motherhood.
In sharing her story of motherhood, Suterwalla will explore a number of influential factors in designing products for premature infants.
Rogers, who is the principle designer behind healthcare centre Maggie’s at The Royal Marsden in Surrey, will explain how the building creates community, which he believes in central to the healing of families.
Read more on Dezeen: www.dezeen.com/vdf
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