Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

Whether applying creativity to a self-initiated inquiry or something outside of oneself, the ability of one’s creative process to affect others is at the core of all artistic endeavors. This is where art and design practices share commonality. In the Interaction Design (IxD) graduate program at the University of Delaware students are applying their individual creativity in altruistic ways: to the creation of assistive eating devices for children with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC). AMC is a debilitating, muscular condition involving congenital joint contracture and causing extreme difficulty in performing everyday tasks - including feeding oneself. In collaboration with University of Delaware faculty member Michele Lobo, PT, PhD, and Director of the Move to Learn Innovation Lab, IxD students are working to design and rapidly prototype devices that assist children with AMC to gain much needed freedom in feeding themselves. Throughout this process, IxD students utilize creative, heuristic and collaborative practice-based research, drawing on physical computing, 3D modeling and digital fabrication technologies, with iteration and feedback fueling creativity. This presentation will include the results of this research - a process that considers technology as a creative tool, whether applied to personal or societal benefit.