As an inclusive designer and artist, I am interested in understanding the mismatch between people and the objects and environments we engage with every day that shape how we live, work, and play. More specifically, I am focused on how the sensory design of digital and tangible objects and environments can support accessibility and well-being. Through inclusive approaches to design that incorporate the perspectives and lived experiences of people, diverse communities can grow and thrive. My design practice is committed to working closely with many different communities through participatory design processes and strives for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Design projects include the development a design guideline for sensory environments that support access and well-being within children’s treatment centres for children and youth with special needs which is supported with funding from the Mitacs Accelerate Program; the design of cross-sensory models for the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Multisensory Tours that provide opportunities for blind and low vision visitors to engage with the museum’s art collection; and the production of accessible tactile sheet music for blind and low vision musicians. Selected design research will be presented at the upcoming Environmental Design Research Association Conference in April 2020 and Canadian Psychological Association Conference in May 2020.
In addition to design, my practice as an artist explores themes of cultural and gender identity through the reconceptualization of the body as a medium to articulate private human experiences within the larger societal context. My work has been exhibited in group exhibitions in Beijing, Hamilton, and Toronto and has been supported with funding from the Canada Council for the Arts.