About the project

Constructing Connectivity aims to disrupt the standards of healthcare with design sensitivity. Dignity, comfort, beauty, and creativity are seldom on the product requirements lists when developing a medical device. But those are precisely the values of Constructing Connectivity, a person-centered stroke rehabilitation method. The current prototype includes a creative, interactive app and the stylish Connextyle sensor shirt. Multi-sensory stimulation creates more new neural pathways than exercise alone. The Constructing Connectivity system lets patients create visual & audio patterns with the body, stimulating 3 senses at the same time. The goal is to deliver an engaging experience to patients while improving recovery and enhancing quality of life.

Jessica Smarsch

Jessica Smarsch is a designer and researcher. The focus of her work over the past several years has been on pattern & repetition as it relates to behavior, well-being, and most recently stroke rehabilitation. Her fascination with pattern began with textile design, which she more clearly defined during her masters thesis research. The focus of her work has been primarily on the benefits of the process, though it has also resulted in objects, films, and interactive software. Her focus on mind-body connection has led to her current work with the stroke rehabilitation process. Smarsch works collaboratively cross-sector with science and technology to enrich the development and outcome of the work, and to better affect the intended audience.

https://jessicasmarsch.com/ 

Image: Jessica Smarsch (C)LISA KLAPPE PHOTOGRAPHY (2015).