Drexel Students Explore Co-design and Aging in Philadelphia Communities

by Laurel Hostak Jones

“Instead of designing for the user, we are designing with the user,” says June He, assistant professor of Product Design. Through her spring 2022 course PROD T380 (cross-listed as WEST T380, DSRE T580, HNRS T301): Aging & Design, Drexel students worked side-by-side with, and cultivated empathy for, older adults in their communities.

The students, both graduates and undergraduates, represent degree programs and disciplines across Drexel University. Students in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design—from majors like Product Design, Architecture, Design & Merchandising, Urban Strategy, and Interior Design—collaborate with classmates studying biomedical engineering, economics, chemistry, and marketing.