NOTUS was my fourth year Capstone Project for the Wilson School of Design. It is a proposed Parkinson’s Rehabilitation and care facility in Vancouver. The first of it’s kind in the lower mainland, NOTUS aims to provide all-encompassing care to those with Parkinson’s Disorder.
Parkinson’s Disease
“Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra. Nerve cells in this part of the brain are responsible for producing a chemical called dopamine.” NHS Symptoms of Parkinson’s include involuntary movement, stiffness, shaking, soreness, loss of balance, and more, and make the lives of those with it more difficult.
NOTUS is proposed as Vancouver’s first all encompassing Parkinson’s facility, offering multiple ways to exercise and rehabilitate, as well as support groups, and nutrition guidance. To properly illustrate the vision for the facility, I created branding including visuals and a brand language, social media, and concepts for interior design.
NOTUS was created as a response to watching my mum try to receive adequate care for her Parkinson’s disorder in the Lower Mainland. It is a space imagined to facilitate all factors of care. There is no cure so far for Parkinson’s, however exercise and a healthy diet are good symptom combatants. It is a neurological disease, and the side effects of required medications create discomfort in the body such as stiffness, soreness, dyskinesia, and shaking. Exercise is used to move blood, free the body, and in turn calms symptoms. Therefore, the three principles that the graphics were based on were inspired by the necessary steps of Parkinson’s care: 1. Move Freely 2. Grow Stronger 3. Come Together, and the range of design artefacts are all inspired by these principles.
Working on a project about Parkinson’s Disease was an extremely informative project for me both design-wise and personally. Although I had lived with my mum for most of her diagnoses, sometimes it’s hard to have candid conversations about what ails someone you love. Learning about Parkinson’s through medical journals, Michael J. Fox’s book, articles, and anecdotes from those living with the disease informed me on what care would be ideal. The branding itself was challenging, as I wanted it to be positive while not being patronising, and informative while being inspirational.