Bernadette Douglas completed a two-year MA by research in DesignCORE in User Centred Design Education for Empathy in 2013. She has a long interest in empathic design, and the psychological elements of user engagement specifically how design can be used to educate and empower individuals through products and services. She is currently undertaking PhD research at Loughborough University UK (part –time study) focusing on empowering older patients and their carers’ during engagements with formal hospital care. The aim of the study is to understand the holistic care needs of this growing group through empathic research and explore how participatory design can be used to develop empathy focused empowering solutions. Bernadette’s current role is Assistant lecturer in Product Design innovation in designCORE.
Areas of Interest for supervisory role
User Experience or interactions
Health services and support
Aging and health
Publications
Poster
Association of Higher Education Access and Disability (Ahead) Conference. (2013). Dublin. Increasing Understanding of User Needs.
Conference Proceedings and Papers
8th International Conference of Design Principles and Practices (2014). Vancouver, Canada. Exploring User Need through Self-Observation to Develop Design Students Empathic Understanding of Others Experience, Douglas, B. Common Ground Publishing.
