MinD Mad in Design: Co-Design for Mental Health in Turin

The MinD Mad in Design association in Turin uses participatory design to support mental health. Founded in 2014 by architects Giulia Mezzalama and Sandra Poletto and psychologist Elena Varini, the group organizes annual workshops at Campus Lingotto, bringing together university students, mental health service users, educators, and nurses under professional designers. Projects include Contatto, a soft sphere for empathic connection; Sesto Piano, a modular wooden structure; and ARIA, a co-design project to renovate the psychiatry ward at Ospedale Santa Croce in Moncalieri, due in 2021. A documentary, Human Shapes. Elementi di fragilità by Marco Da Re, made with CAMERA, tells the story. Success story: Riccardo, a former architecture student, now works at interior design studio Marcante Testa. The 2020 workshop, held online due to COVID-19, focused on 'Prendersi cura' with Astrid Luglio exploring olfactory geography. In 2018, they collaborated with Daniele Lago on the theme of the table. The association emphasizes breaking stigma and fostering professional reintegration, echoing Franco Basaglia's belief that 'up close, no one is normal.'