Psychedelic Medicine by Design

Catalog description

If ever there was a space ripe with opportunity for design, it's one where intentional (mind)set and setting are critical to the quality of the user experience. Foundational design decisions are being made today that will shape how psychedelics show up in our healthcare systems and everyday lives, without strong design thought leadership in the room (yet). This class is for anyone exploring the ecosystem of psychedelic medicine, including people who wouldn't normally call themselves designers - mental health and wellness practitioners, government policymakers, venture builders, the psychedelic medicine-curious, and fierce social justice and equity advocates pushing for spiritual development through sacred plants. And for experienced designers, it's a chance to practice navigating ecosystem complexity in an emergent industry - something we're all doing right now, one way or another. This course is a creative playground spanning mental health and wellness, policy, business, technology, culture, art, nature, plant medicines, and people. You'll practice design depths like systems design, speculative design, and visual communication, while hearing from a wide range of expert voices across the ecosystem - social justice, law, clinical practice, spiritual traditions, and indigenous communities, to name a few. On a personal level, we want you to leave with a life-centered design approach: a way to mindfully navigate, design, and thrive during times of disruption and mental distress.