Ignite
Description
As we age, maintaining mental acuity becomes increasingly important, not only for helping to preserve cognitive function but also to enhance our quality of life, ensuring continued independence. Ignite™ is a publication designed to enhance mental acuity and independence in seniors, offering a range of interest-based activities to promote cognitive function, social connection, and personal growth. Targeted at individuals aged 70-85 in independent living communities, this initiative partners with Frontier Management’s SPARK program, which spans across 130 locations in 19 states. The pilot program provides the residents with a mix of creative, cognitive, and social activities through an activity handbook-style format which includes a newspaper describing the focus of the edition. The publication is delivered via newspaper stands at each Frontier retirement home. Each edition aligns with the seasons, fostering community engagement, mental stimulation, and self-expression. For the autumn edition, the focus is on creativity and the benefits of engaging in it. Activities for this season can be completed both independently or in group events that are designed to help activate brain function, encourage divergent thinking, and reduce stress while nurturing dignity and a sense of purpose. For all activities, the materials needed will be provided by Frontier with staff to help out, if required. By empowering seniors with enriching experiences, we aim to foster meaningful connections, improve emotional well-being, and enhance overall quality of life, both in community spaces and, eventually, at home.
This project was made for educational purposes.
This project was made for educational purposes.
Project Type
Brand Identity | User Experience Design | Publication Design
Deliverables
Published Designs, Layout Design, Merchandise Design, Grid Usage, Typesetting, Research, Image Sourcing
Software
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Figma
Collaboration
Jacob Enzor, Diane Lee, Anh Nguyen, Ellie Ruperto
Role
Newspaper Layout, Newspaper Production, Crossword Design, Music Section of Activity Book, Research
The Process
Throughout the progression of this project, our team continuously test-printed and went through several phases of ideation to get to the finished end product of both the newspaper and the activity handbook. With each step, we made informed design decisions to best meet the needs for the intended target audience.
The activity handbook is an inclusive guide created to engage the senior residents with a variety of different interest-based activities inspired by the Montessori Method of teaching. Each activity ranges from introductory level to advanced level, ensuring accessibility and challenge for all participants. The handbook features both solo and group activities to foster a sense of purpose and community to encourage social interaction.
Benefits of Creativity With Music
For the autumn edition of Ignite™, there are four different types of activities the senior residents can choose from to incorporate creativity: music, photography, crocheting, or painting. In the music activities, residents can explore activities like piano lessons, with beginner and advanced music sheets, or group singing lessons. These musical activities not only support self-expression, but also stimulate cognitive function by activating brain areas tied to memory, emotion, and problem-solving. It is proven that music helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing imagination and creativity by promoting divergent thinking. This is the ability to generate multiple ideas and solutions. Additionally, music triggers dopamine production, which supports emotional regulation and overall well-being. By offering these creative outlets, the handbook empowers staff to support residents' mental and emotional health, providing both therapeutic benefits and opportunities for lifelong learning.
