Death and dying eventually affect us all. And yet, these topics remain heavily stigmatized in everyday conversation — especially among younger generations. In her Master Design thesis at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Design Film Kunst, Chiara Turel explored ways to shift this reality.

Her project Destigmatising Death investigates how we can encourage more open, thoughtful discussions around the end of life, starting at a younger age. Drawing from her research into stigma-reducing tools, Chiara developed an intervention designed to ease people into these conversations.

At the heart of her prototype is a digital platform connected to physical touchpoints. These invite users to create and exchange personal tasks related to the topic of death — offering space for reflection, interaction and preparation. Aimed at young adults who may have had little exposure to death, the platform provides gentle access to a topic that is difficult, yet deeply human. It empowers individuals and communities to explore the subject in their own time and on their own terms.

The project is grounded in extensive research: one of the biggest challenges, Chiara explains, was gaining a holistic understanding of the issue. This meant conducting interviews not only with experts and professionals, but also with individuals who had personal experience with death and grief. Each conversation required a careful, adaptive approach — using a range of research methods that were both creative and sensitive, and always grounded in empathy.

The project was developed within the Master Design programme at HSLU. This programme prepares a new generation of designers to approach complex societal challenges with a collaborative, experimental and materially grounded mindset. Through research-based, process-oriented design, students create meaningful interventions in fields ranging from healthcare to sustainability, community building to visual storytelling.

Autor: Louis Hosali