Craig Dalziel
Hello, I’m Craig Dalziel, an Interior Design student from Glasgow/Stewarton, Scotland. Throughout my studies at GSA, it has given me the opportunity to undergo and experience a range of diverse project briefs, to understand and develop my own creative design process, through means such as exploration, prototyping, development, communication and all round being imaginative. What I value the most is how it has led me understand the type of designer I am today and still aim to be, along with understanding my own interests in design and aspirations for the future, which include studying/working abroad.
I’m really intrigued about the concept of a space and the correlation between people (the user) and materiality can have with it, to create. This is a subject that is explored and highlighted within my recent project. A project which looks at, and is all about our relationship with our skin, how we can take care of it and treat it, no matter the severity of ones condition. This will be further discussed below.
If interested, more on my design process will be located within the supporting document links which is aimed to take on an interrelation form between the personal and the professional as a designer throughout this project. From documenting thoughts, problems solving matters, development and more.
Background/Intro
Glasgow and the UK as a whole face many issues when it comes our skin as the topic itself remains scarce in both Britons themselves as well as society.
It is estimated that over ‘60% of British people currently suffer from skin disease’. In other words ‘2 out of 3 of us will suffer from skin disease’ (The British Skin Foundation, 2021). Yet it is also noted that there is only 610 Skin specialists in the UK to help tackle this huge problem (Statista, 2020)…
In the UK dermatology (the branch of medicine that deals specifically with the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders), has become an overshadowed practise – one that is rarely prominent in the public eye, hard to access, and unknown within the healthcare industry, due to the dominance of general practise’s (GP’s) which is seen as the forefront of healthcare in the UK in terms of overall help. This is something as a society we are taught and brought up to believe – if we think we have an issue, most of us will initially go see a GP first which is our normal response. However, as a nation what we are seeing is that such services are becoming under pressure now more than ever, as they struggle to cope when serving the public. Why should we have to mainly go through a GP first, to then be referred to a skin specialist when suffering with skin related issues? Would it not be beneficial for people to see a skin specialist right away? To be seen and to tackle the issue at hand much quicker by experts in that field…
Therefore, it is through this project that I aim to change and tackle that. To design and propose a different kind of branch (space) – one that deals specifically with issues of the skin, to bring light to this practise we call dermatology and everything skin related, offering a somewhat more alternative, open, educational, experiential, and accessible skin facility space for people to inhabit.
So, what does this entail?
The Project
The aim is to design a skin facility that can manage, treat, educate and support those who suffer from various skin conditions, no matter the severity of a given condition, in one centred location.
To do this, I aim to incorporate and combine both dermatology (the professional) and the skin retail (commercial) environments to the skin facility design because of there being various levels in terms of the severity when it comes to the skin. Some may experience more serious, long-term, critical issues for example, where they may have to seek out medical help from professionals like dermatologists, while others however, may face milder and temporary problems that can be treated quicker, some even without the help of a dermatologist. Therefore, such serious-like treatments may not be necessary for these types of people, instead however, it offers them more access in terms of help by giving them the opportunity in terms of seeking out professional help and advice if concerned or need help understanding certain skin products/treatments etc. Thus, DERM__STETICS is all about inclusivity when it comes to dealing with our skin through its hybrid design – a space that aims to cater to all skin needs where critical and mild meet.
Furthermore, by creating this hybrid space it further aims to educate and encourage the user through its design to become more aware about our skin, how it functions, and how we can manage our skin/take care of it. As well as providing a wide plethora of information regarding of what is out there in terms of help and treatments that could be beneficial for people with skin conditions. Not only just for clients who I envision inhabiting the space, but also for the viewers of my work who potentially suffer from skin conditions too.
More info on the background and initial stages of my project are found in the contract/brief document link below.
Project Links
DERM___STETICS SKIN FACILITY Floor Plan
Project Links
The Client
“Everyone’s skin journey is different, never the same, and individual to them”
The client (user) became an integral factor, which is translated through the design of the space in terms of movement and functionality. It’s design is to provide for both a more serious, critical client (in a professional setting), as well as a more temporary, mild, short visit, (in a experiential sort of setting) client too, in one space.
Below, explores some of the journeys potential clients could undergo within the proposed skin facility, showing what is to offer to all those with any kind of skin related issue, whether it be critical or mild through this hybrid design.
Client 1
Client 2
Skin Educational Experience
Additional Areas
Paediatric Dermatology
