Tailoring design to service user needs.

Conference topics at the Design in Mental Health Conference & Exhibition 2013 at Birmingham's National Motorcycle Museum in mid-May ranged from how to develop supportive design for dementia sufferers, to a new Dutch 'High Care Unit' pilot facility in Eindhoven incorporating multisensory elements from Philips Healthcare, that is designed to help calm and restore equilibrium for patients in an anxious, distressed, and potentially aggressive state, and reduce instances of 'seclusion'. HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports on three presentations with a common theme - the significant impact that good building design and a 'positive' internal environment can have on patient well-being, recovery, and 'mood'.