“Perełka" - Original furniture design as a metaphor for Alzheimer's disease

Diploma project

“Perełka" - Original furniture design as a metaphor for Alzheimer's disease

“Perełka" is an original furniture design, which the author intended as a metaphor for illness. The project is an extensive collection of encounters with 80-year-old Mrs. Helena, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Through her work, the author explores this condition and aims to raise awareness by creating a "simulator" in the form of a distorted chest of drawers. When a healthy person approaches this object, they experience disorientation and confusion, stepping into the world of a mind affected by Alzheimer's. By focusing on a single personal experience, the author delves deeply into the analysis and personalization, creating a unique "monument" to both the disease and the individual.

The author began her thesis with selected entries from a diary documenting numerous meetings with Mrs. Helena. This approach allows the reader to experience the extraordinary and often terrifying world of Alzheimer's. According to the author, the definition of Alzheimer's disease can be understood only by reliving these experiences together.

In the subsequent stages of the project, the author develops mechanisms that reflect how Mrs. Helena perceives each drawer, which are then incorporated into the final object – the chest of drawers. The instructions included with the project guide the user on how to open each drawer, sharing short stories associated with them.