About the project
About the Project
EFREE addresses challenges of accessibility faced by elderly populations in nursing homes. The proposal presents ergonomic products that aim to promote autonomy: ECane, a walking aid combining comfort with style; EBag, designed to reduce strain during carrying activities; and EButton, a tool concept that could help those with limited dexterity fasten clothing. The project suggests using recycled materials like masks and bottle caps, transforming them through Sun Factory technology. The conceptual products consider durability comparable to conventional alternatives while offering personalization options through different recycled plastic colors, proposing a cycle of production and use tailored to elderly communities.
About the Project’s approach
EFREE explores distributed design values through a people-centered approach to product development. The project proposes making design files freely accessible, suggesting a democratized design ecosystem. The concept envisions engaging nursing home residents as participants rather than recipients, imagining a co-design environment that values experiential knowledge. EFREE considers how discarded materials might be transformed into functional products, questioning perceptions of both waste and aging. The proposal connects environmental sustainability with social inclusion, suggesting a model where technology could serve human dignity and environmental health simultaneously, while building community involvement through participatory design processes.
About the collective
Nádia Santos, Ana Rodrigues, and Susana Reis are Visual Arts and Technologies students at Politécnico de Lisboa with an interest in accessible design and sustainability. Their academic exploration of elderly care challenges led them to research ergonomic solutions and recycling processes. As design students, they approached this project as an opportunity to understand the needs of an often-overlooked population while developing their conceptual design skills. Their work represents a learning journey showing how design education can engage with social issues through research-based approaches. Through this project, they’ve begun to explore the potential intersection between inclusive design and environmental responsibility.