Special Issue on Design Interventions for Improving Well-Being

Introduction

Design plays an important role in enhancing well-being across physical, mental, emotional, social and environmental dimensions. Thoughtful design interventions can directly impact quality of life by addressing health, comfort and satisfaction. By studying the nature and impacts of these interventions, we can create environments, products and services that promote happiness and well-being. This special issue seeks to uncover the potential of design to improve well-being through innovative and impactful approaches.

This special issue presents the latest research in design interventions for improving well-being, focusing on design’s significant role in addressing social issues such as accessibility, inclusivity and equity. It also explores strategies for encouraging healthier behaviors and lifestyles over time and examines design’s potential in building resilience in individuals and communities facing challenges such as natural disasters, economic downturns or health crises.

We welcome contributions that explore and evaluate the role of design in improving well-being through the utilization of new technologies, exploring best practices, and unpacking the impacts across different demographics and contexts.

We believe this issue will be a platform to inspire practitioners, educators and researchers to reflect on the power of design interventions for improving well-being.

Topics covered

Include but are not limited to:

• User-centered design for mental health
• Sustainable design practices for environmental well-being
• The potential of new technologies (AI, Robotics, etc.) in improving well-being
• Inclusive design for social well-being
• Ergonomics and health promotion
• Design thinking for community well-being

Important deadline

Submission deadlines: 31 December 2025

Submission instructions

Please read the [Guide for Authors] before submitting. All articles should be [submitted online], please select [VSI: Design Intervention for Well-Being] on submission.

Guest editors

Cees de Bont

Full Professor, Division of Industrial Design, School of Design Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Email: debont@nus.edu.sg

Peiyao Cheng

Associate Professor, Department of Design, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China.

Email: chengpeiyao@hit.edu.cn