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Elevate Solution is an application designed to enhance communication between patient and healthcare professionals. Work by Kia Alavi.
Respond to the complexity of healthcare through a comprehensive design approach. Get empowered to create ethical, sustainable solutions to pressing challenges across the health sector.

Bring your educational and practical experience in design, the health sector or in the social sciences of health into an environment committed to developing design solutions to complex health challenges. In partnership with world-caliber hospitals, healthcare-research institutes, and a thriving technology cluster you’ll design multi-disciplinary systems, service, program and product solutions for real-world challenges, including:

  • The emergence of new infections including epidemics and pandemics
  • Chronic diseases including mental health and addictions
  • An aging population
  • Health inequities including disparities in access for care for structurally marginalized individuals and groups
  • Creating inclusive and healthy built environments
  • Global health initiatives including HIV-AIDS and access to medicines
  • Patient and caregiver-oriented care planning and delivery
  • A shift to multi-setting and multi-disciplinary health-care delivery including digital health and telehealth

The interdisciplinary Design for Health program has four main themes delivered primarily through studio-based learning:

  • Learn and absorb: Gain knowledge in health, healthcare delivery, communications, technology and innovation.
  • Research and apply: Identify, design, conduct and apply qualitative, co-design, and quantitative and evidence-based techniques to health challenges.
  • Design and innovate: Create new, ethical, and sustainable solutions with health sector stakeholders, patients, and partners.
  • Lead and collaborate: Be embedded in interdisciplinary teams focusing on stakeholders including patients, health-service providers and designers to develop solutions and to communicate outcomes.

Check out the course calendar here for current courses offered.

  • Studio-based learning with local and national health sector partners in order to design innovative solutions to complex and contemporary health design challenges
  • Guest lectures by designers, scholars and industry experts
  • Elective and shared courses from other graduate programs at OCAD University and other post-secondary institutions
  • Dynamic and interdisciplinary cohorts from a variety of healthcare contexts

Graduates practice as generalist designers, as well as specialists in spatial, human factors, and systems design in  a variety of sectors connected to health, including:

  • federal and provincial government programs and policy
  • hospital design labs
  • various community healthcare delivery services
  • architectural firms
  • management consulting
  • entrepreneurship
White and purple background with OCAD U logo

Circulate Health

Explore the Circulate Lab and discover the research projects of DHEA students featured at the Health Innovation Forum

Labs

Research labs can be an important part of your graduate student experience. Check out the labs connected to this program.

The Health Design Studio at OCADU works to bring an inclusive and interdisciplinary design approach to healthcare design challenges.

Link to Health Design Studio
Program
Design for Health
Degree earned
Master of Design (MDes)
Format
Full-time/Part-time
Mode of Delivery
In-person
Duration
2 years

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