Design as the Mediator of New Social Health Culture. Towards a Co-benefits Model

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for change, raising questions about the current approach to health. The re-definition of the role of health and well-being towards an interdisciplinary approach is knowledge-driven and technology-enabled and the focus of innovation is shifting from the treatment of disease to prediction and prevention. The new model of the ‘co-benefit belt’ through design activates a process of systemic improvement and extends beyond the digital, pursuing the logic of interaction. The role of Design as a mediator is emphasized, lending itself to emergency situations, to the design of protection devices by implementing multifunctional and shared protection dynamics, intervening in rethinking the universe of devices with Human Centered Design approaches, and optimizing methods and processes. The case study presented describes the development of the research project funded by the Campania Region, “Smart&Safe”. Design for new individual protection devices”, is among the initiatives to fight against Covid-19. The research proposes an update in the redesign of individual Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to explore a new dimension of the project that highlights the transition to an Individual and Intelligent Protection System (IIPS), reflecting on the various levels of safety faced during health emergencies.