Dementia is a set of symptoms that gradually compromise cognitive abilities and behavior, and it is one of the main causes of dependency among older people. It affects 10 million people in Europe, with Portugal ranking fourth in the prevalence of dementia among OECD countries. In the absence of a cure and effective treatments, Alzheimer’s associations and research in this area have invested in non-pharmacological and psychosocial interventions as a way of managing the symptoms of dementia and slowing down its progression. The World Health Organization has also called for a change in the perception of dementia, towards a more inclusive and dementia-friendly society, with initiatives that involve and empower people with dementia and their carers.

Taking part in activities is crucial for their well-being, for cultivating relationships with others, for connecting with themselves and the context in which they live. However, in Portugal, the information available on staying active with dementia is scarce and mostly aimed at carers. Despite the current focus on empowerment, information in European Portuguese aimed at and designed for people with dementia is almost non-existent. This absence creates an opportunity for design to intervene, due to the mediating vocation of the discipline, capable of linking various areas of knowledge, particularly health and psychosocial areas, and of designing and adapting information to different audiences.

In particular, information that helps maintain and adapt meaningful activities and that can be encouraging and empowering. This approach contributes to the destigmatisation of dementia by challenging the stereotype that sees these patients as merely passive recipients of care. Recognising the skills of people with dementia, respecting them and adapting to their needs without underestimating their abilities can help to change perceptions of the disease, especially for those who are still at an early stage of diagnosis. This approach can also help informal carers to support people with dementia in integrating this knowledge into their lives.

It aims to improve both the pragmatic and hedonic design attributes of information on meaningful activities for people with dementia in Portugal. To meet these objectives, it brings together a multidisciplinary team with experience and skills in design for health (including design for and with people with dementia), dementia care and digital health services.

The project is guided by values that take into account person-centred care, in a rights-based approach to dementia. It is also based on inclusive design principles and aims to establish guidelines in terms of the design and visual communication of information for people with dementia. 

The project uses qualitative and participatory design methodologies, applied within the framework of three main research activities:

1. literature review and analysis of information resources aimed at people with dementia, from a design perspective;


2. in-depth assessment of the needs and preferences of people with dementia and their informal carers regarding information on meaningful activities and effective ways of integrating this information into their daily lives;


3. involvement of people with dementia and informal carers – as “experts by experience” – in the co-design process of the information platform prototype.

Expected results include (i) the design and development of a prototype of an information platform co-designed with people with dementia and their informal carers; and (ii) a publication on good practice and guidelines for the design and communication of information dedicated to dementia, aimed at designers and information providers who design for this target audience.