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Glen Hougan


Glen Hougan

Rank: Associate Professor

Qualifications: BES University of Waterloo, MEDes University of Calgary

Initial NSCAD appointment: 2005

Glen Hougan is an industrial/product designer whose background is in the area of product development, health care design, human factors, cultural ergonomics, design ethnography and design thinking.

His current design and research interests are in design for an aging population, ageism and design, ecologically centered design, new methods of production (rapid prototyping and digital fabrication) and how businesses can use design thinking as a strategic tool.

In 2010 he was made Sun Life Financial Chair in Design in Health and Aging. This is one of three Chairs Sun Life Financial funds across Canada in support of innovative research. His research and work in the area of design, health and aging has garnered national and international attention He was recently featured on the PBS series Life Part 2, ABC Good Morning America’s Health Watch and the CBC radio program Spark.

He is principal of Wellspan Research and Design. Wellpsan is a research and design company offering product development and product evaluation, user trailing, user research, and workshops and training in the areas of health and design.

Prior to coming to NSCAD in 2005, he taught Industrial and Interaction Design at Syracuse University.

recent academic activities

papers
 • Designers and Ageism (2011)
• What has design got to do with it? The impact of image on our ageing population (2009)

workshops given
 • Get Old Fast: Design for the Ages, IDSA International Conference, New Orleans (2011)
• Understanding the experience of Aging, Silver Economy Summit, Halifax (2010)
• Ageism: the last prejudice, Recreation Nova Scotia Annual Conference (2009)
• Locating the D spot: design thinking for small business, International Small Business Conference, Halifax (2008)

presentations
 • Keynote speaker - Understanding the needs of an Aging Population. Safety for Seniors: Living well with new technology conference, Middleton, Nova Scotia ( 2011)
• Healthcare by Design. Geriatric Academic Rounds, QWII Health Science Center, Capital Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia (2011)
• Design for an Aging Population, Whirlpool Corporation, Global Consumer Design Group, Michigan (2010).
• Ageing, Health care and Design, Herman Miller Corporation, Michigan (2010).
• Exploring age friendly environments, Canadian Association on Gerontology Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting, Winnipeg (2009).

grants and funding
• Awarded the Sun Life Chair of Design in Health and Aging (2010).
• NSCAD faculty recipient of the 2009-10 Faculty Research and Practice Grant.
• Corecipient of a SSHRC grant (Public Outreach Grants - Canadian Environmental issues)  to design a community based watershed monitoring kits (2009).
• Recipient of the Nova Scotia Economic Productivity and Innovation Voucher award to help companies develop assisted healthcare devices (2009-10).

television & radio
• PBS Life Part 2: Mechanics of Aging (2009)
• ABC Good Morning America Health Watch (2009)
• CBC Radio: Spark (2009)

print
• Take a seat: Collaborative research and good design offer customers better products (PDF) (2009)