Design Research DEFINED

About the Glossary

This glossary, proposed by the class 2021 graduates, contains a variety of terms that together characterize our practice and approach to design research today.

The glossary provides a current overview and a unique perspective – a new design-related take based on a year of research made in several research approaches and methodologies.

About the program

The Bezalel Industrial Design Masters program is a two-year program educating outstanding designers and creators to take on leading roles in an ever-changing world.
The program offers three tracks: Design Management and Innovation, Experimental Design (About Design), and Design and Technology, in which the students gain tools, knowledge, and creative study. The program is based on the premise that designers are agents of change facilitating interdisciplinary connections, as well as new perspectives and original solutions to current issues. The program creates opportunities for experiencing work in various fields: hi-tech and industry, the curatorial and art world, the academic and research world, the third sector, and local authorities - as well as in the framework of international cooperations with leading academies.

The program exposes the students to the deeper meanings of central processes currently taking place in the world. It allows them to translate processes of innovation and design thinking into a distinct personal language while integrating processes related to product design and new services in a competitive dynamic world. In the course of their studies, the students build their ability to integrate into multidisciplinary teams and develop processes. In addition, the students acquire tools to act in a global environment, connect with interested parties, and balance different requirements. These skills will be the central foundation in the students’ ability to find their place and to succeed in the Israeli and global markets.

The program opened in 2003 and our graduates have taken positions in the industry and design fields: as innovation team managers in local authorities and the Air Force, hi-tech and startups product designers, UI/UX designers in global companies such as Microsoft, HP, Intel, lab managers in the Weizmann Institute and Ort education network, lecturers in design academies, and curators, creators, and entrepreneurs. Our team of lecturers includes designers and leading curators, marketing experts, and researchers with vast knowledge in strategy management, product management, and design, service management, interaction, and game design, programming, storytelling, critical thinking, curation, and writing.

How to help someone coping with bereavement? An interpretive design for the stages of grief

Three objects create a nature morte scene or a memento mori essence to them. These artifacts, one black and two white are reanimated via technology and act as a crucial stage in the grieving process.

The first object is in the form of a seashell and acts as a transitional piece; it retains the deceased’s heartbeat. The grieving viewer is invited to take hold of the seashell and place it close to their own hearts. Alternatively they could also lend an ear and pay attention to the recurring rhythm. The peaceful seashell enables the grieving individual to transition from a dependence state to independence.

The second object is a weeping black stone that sheds tears when detecting the presence of the mourner, until they move away. It has the mechanics of an hourglass containing the dripping tears, while the griever processes their pain and emotions.

The last and final object is a stuffed, white bird that giggles with the same voice of the deceased every time the mourner laughs. This stage of the grieving process is crucial; together with humor and laughter, the bird marks acceptance and emerges through the sorrow with renewed energy.

Creating the series of these three objects emerged from my interest in psychology with the focus on grief and separation. Inspired by Freud’s “grief work”, Winnicott’s “transitional object”, and Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief. Additionally, after conducting several interviews with individuals who experienced the loss of a loved one, I found that the presence of the deceased remains within us. Majority of the mourners cope with their grief with digital tools, such as reading through old messages, emails, and listening to recordings in order to maintain a sense of continuity. This led me to think about the real need for mnemonic mechanisms as an alternative to the traditional tombstones and cemeteries. Thus, the interactive objects I’ve designed enter the grievers life to provide comfort and acceptance.