From the design studio to the aged care home, University of Queensland Bachelor of Design students are proving that good design doesn’t just look good - it makes a real difference.
In a groundbreaking partnership with Southern Cross Care Queensland led by Program Convenor Dr Charlotte Kessler in collaboration with Professor of Clinical Geropsychology Nancy Pachana, third-year Design students stepped beyond the classroom in 2025 to co- design solutions that improve the lives of aged care residents.
Working directly with residents and staff, students used co-design methods to identify real challenges and improved experiences of daily life in aged care. Their work responded to critical issues raised in the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care, with a focus on empathy, agency, and practical outcomes.
“This course is a fantastic opportunity combining theoretical teachings with real-world application,” said Anton Uscinski, Bachelor of Design student.
“It was a pleasure to work with real people and build solutions that truly feel like they make a difference.”
The project, Co-Designing Aged Care Communities, unfolded in two phases. First, students worked in teams to explore a specific design theme and conduct participatory workshops with aged care residents and staff. These collaborative sessions uncovered issues like social isolation, underused outdoor spaces, and possible loss of identity in institutional environments.
In the second phase, students developed design solutions, producing high-quality visualisations, prototypes, and user scenarios - all presented to industry and community stakeholders.
“This partnership equips students to solve real-world challenges by combining professional expertise with lived experience,” said Dr Charlotte Kessler “Through the co-design process, students develop leadership and project management skills, all while creating meaningful, lasting impact for communities.”
Flourish Together by Anli Morgan
A modular community garden program that turns underused aged care outdoor spaces into vibrant, accessible green spaces. Designed to support mobility-challenged residents, each package includes raised garden beds, tools, and community-led programming to promote social connection and mental wellbeing.
Plates Like Home by Anton Uscinski
A dining experience that blends familiarity and storytelling. Residents co-design their own crockery, complete with personal stories, sparking conversation and creating a warm, homely environment around shared meals.
GeoDome by Matilda Milne
A geodesic dome installation that fosters use of outdoor spaces, along with social and community engagement. This modular, adaptable and weatherproof structure enables use ofoutdoor spaces for activities and events, connecting residents with each other and the wider public.
A Platform for Future-Ready Designers
This hands-on collaboration prepared students for the increasingly complex, multidisciplinary nature of design practice.
The final showcase brought together Southern Cross Care Queensland staff, residents, design industry experts and UQ academics from across three different schools (the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, School of Psychology, and School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) to celebrate the outcomes. Many projects have received enthusiastic interest for future implementation.
As Australia’s population ages, the need for compassionate, human-centred innovation in aged care is more urgent than ever. UQ’s Design students are rising to the challenge, one thoughtful, co-created idea at a time.
