I am an assistant professor with the Interaction Design (IxD) group in the Department of Design, Production and Management in the Faculty of Engineering Technology.
As a health geographer and design researcher, my unconventional research interests are rooted in a human-centred, geographically inspired approach to designing healthcare environments and systems that support positive health outcomes. I am interested in transdisciplinary, mixed-method research, evaluation frameworks and policymaking that support inclusive, accessible and socially sustainable design.
My research focuses on the intersection between the built, social and technological environments in healthcare with an emphasis on healthcare transformation, citizen science and at-home hospitalization practices.
I supervise one post-doc researcher Christian Wrede (ARC project) and two PhD candidates. Naomi van Stralen focuses on improving health-technology literacy and health outcomes of people with lower socio-economic status through design which is an NWO-funded collaboration with Prof. Dr. Geke Ludden. Carmen Heuvelmans focuses on how design enhances human-building interaction of women with psychiatric illnesses. In addition, I supervise IDE Master students on a range of topics including interaction design, sex and gender research, loneliness and positive health.
To support the IDE program, I am a staff member of the Industrial Design Engineering program committee (2023).
I am also the co-founder of Healthscapes, a platform with a focus on sharing health environment design research. This platform connects international, interdisciplinary researchers to share and connect on architecture and design research, evaluations and education to improve the design of homes, schools, healthcare, and workplaces. Together with Elke Miedema, we mobilize research through research summaries, guest lectures, connecting networks and podcasts.I also have worked in the private sector as a research associate with Adema Architecten. As an evidence-based designer, I translated scientific research into the design and construction of healthcare facilities to support positive health outcomes for patients, staff and families.
Expertise
Social Sciences
- Older Adults
- Support
Psychology
- Scoping Review
- Health
- Wellbeing
Nursing and Health Professions
- Older Adult
- Patient
- Dementia
Organisations
Publications
2026
2025
Research profiles
I am the coordinator and principal lecturer of a master-level course on how multi-sensory design can improve health outcomes in healthcare environments.
In design, there is a lot of emphasis on the visual aspects of products. However, people experience the world around them and products and services through all of their senses, which can influence their well-being. In order to design for all modalities, designers need to understand how people perceive products through the different modalities, how the different modalities interact and how, in the end, a complete product is experienced. In this course, we explore “multimodal design” or “multi-sensory design” (designing for all of our modalities) in healthcare environments. The course includes applying scientific research to design (evidence-based design) and theoretical concepts, which are illustrated with examples from design research and design practice.
I also supervise a range of health related capita selecta and IDE Bachelor and Master assignments. I also give guest lectures and workshops throughout National and International academia and industry on research ethics, healing environments, and research positionality.
Affiliated study programs
Courses academic year 2025/2026
Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.
Courses academic year 2024/2025
My research focuses on the intersection between the built, social and technological environments in healthcare with an emphasis on healthcare transformation, citizen science and at-home hospitalization practices.
Current projects
Ageing Right Carefully
Ageing Right Care(fully) (ARC) is a transdisciplinary, transnational research project which is funded by NWO under the framework the co-fund partnership of Transforming Health and Care Systems, THCS, (GA N° 101095654 of the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. The three-year project will explore and map an understanding of the care pathways between ageing in place and hospitalization of older adults in Israel, the Netherlands and Swedent. By combining multi-level knowledge, the results from this project will inform the future of healthcare for older adults. The project began in September 2024.
COST Action – BIOPALiM (Membership Committee representative from the Netherlands)
The main aim of the Action is to develop an overarching framework to guide European and country-specific processes in the areas of driving, driving retirement, and usable accessible transportation for older adults.
Working Together with Caregivers of Older Adults
The Samenwerkingskracht Mantelzorg project examines how informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in Twente can support one another and how employers can support this group. The goal of the project is to design evidence-based interventions based on citizen science and scientific research. The project is funded by the Regio Deal Twente and a collaboration between Twentse Koers, University of Twente and Saxion University.
Positive health solutions for social inclusion of older adults in Twente
The research project 'Positive health solutions for social inclusion of older adults in Twente' is a collaboration between the University of Twente and Stichting IkkanWelzijn Samen1Enschede/Samen1Twente. This new collaboration, funded by the Citizen Science Hub Twente, brings academic researchers and citizens together to find solutions for the social inclusion of older adults living in Twente. We will develop and test new ideas and local solutions through design research activities. The project will be based on the concept of positive Health to ensure solution-oriented solutions that impact a wide range of interests and skill levels of the community. The project will begin in September 2024.
Queens of Science, Kings of Change, Ace of Identity
Queens of Science, Kings of Change, Ace of Identity
Exploring sex and gender in health research is an exhilarating and crucial endeavour. However, it is often a challenging, isolating, and confusing task for researchers to implement, especially when developing a common understanding within a research consortium. Some may wonder where to begin and how to convince their colleagues or supervisors of its importance. With this proposed tool, ‘Queens of Science, Kings of Change, Ace of Identity’, Arianna Macias Honti explored how biases and misunderstandings about sex and gender can be discussed and transformed. This project aimed to create a conversation tool that can spark conversation and spread awareness and knowledge about sex and gender in health research.
This project was funded by the ZonMw - Gender in Research Award 2023.
SoHo
Socially Sustainable Living Environments for Older Adults
There is a shortage of suitable, affordable, secure housing in several countries that promote social inclusion for inhabitants, especially for older adults. The aim of the SoHo project is to provide an overview of the existing literature and practices on design features that support socially sustainable living environments for older adults. We will use a systematic scoping methodology to identify and summarize the findings. In addition, the results will be shared and validated with international, interdisciplinary stakeholders with expertise in housing, building planning, architecture, social and health services. The consultations will provide content expertise to the literature findings and an opportunity to build evidence-based solutions that promote socially sustainable living environments for older persons. The SoHo project is led by Dr. Susanna Nordin and funded by Formas (FR-2022/0002 (Reference number: 2022-00034). This project was finalized in 2024.
B-SURE
B-SURE
B-Sure: The B-SURE project is led by Dr. Marie Elf (Dalarna University) and funded by Formas (grant 2021-01455). The project has an interdisciplinary team with experience in rehabilitation, architecture, urban planning and environmental psychology. It is a collaborative project with researchers from Dalarna University and Lund University in Sweden and Melbourne University in Australia. The project aims to produce conceptual models of built environments to support rehabilitation and recovery after stroke. I am a researcher on this project.
Address
University of Twente
Horst Complex (building no. 20), room W254
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands
University of Twente
Horst Complex W254
P.O. Box 217
7500 AE Enschede
Netherlands
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