The ‘Everyday Sounds of Dementia’ project aims to explore and identify the beneficial effects of everyday sounds for people with dementia.
Based on the large body of evidence on how music provides emotional and behavioral benefits, the ‘Everyday Sounds of Dementia’ project aims to explore and identify the beneficial effects of everyday sounds for people with dementia. In this project, we combine healthcare expertise with design-research approaches to establish a knowledge framework of the added value of sound for people with dementia, and to develop and evaluate audio-based technology with immediate meaningful impact in care practices. We adopt a reciprocal research approach by providing activities with interactive audio-based technology that stimulates agency, playfulness and social engagement.
The main goals of the project are to:
1) investigate the effects of personalized soundscapes on people living with dementia and their caregivers
2) explore and identify opportunities for audio-based technology and person-centered design for dementia using research-through-design approaches
3) develop knowledge on collaborative approaches to enable people living with dementia and their caregivers to engage in co-design and participatory approaches
This project is financed by ZonMw Create Health and is a partnership between Eindhoven University of Technology (Department of Industrial Design), Tilburg University (Tranzo), care organization Archipel, Cooperation Slimmer Leven, with external collaboration with Pleyade care organization and University of Technology Sydney.
Researcher

Maarten Houben
Publications
The Role of Everyday Sounds in Advanced Dementia Care
In Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI’20) (Best paper award!)
https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376577
Foregrounding Everyday Sounds in Dementia
In Proceedings of the 2019 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS’19) (Best paper award!)
https://doi.org/10.1145/3322276.3322287
The Perspectives of Professional Caregivers on Implementing Audio-Based Technology in Residential Dementia Care
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176333
Exploring Everyday Sounds in Dementia: Practical Guidelines for Interactive Workshops
in HCI and Design in the Context of Dementia
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32835-1_13
Turnaround: Exploring Care Relations in Dementia Through Design
In Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts Proceedings (CHI ’20)
https://doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3382846
RelivRing: Reliving Social Activities for People with Dementia
In Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts Proceedings (CHI’20)
https://doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3383033
(For full list see: zie https://maartenhouben.be/cv)
Relevant literature and references
PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS
- Invited Talk: LSH PPS dag 2021 March 2021
- Workshop Organiser: Exploring Design Characteristics of Technology for People with Dementia March 2021
- Paper Presentation: Dementia Lab 2021 January 2021
- Invited Talk: Embassy of Health, Dutch Design Week 2020 October 2020.
- Paper Presentation: DIS conference on Designing Interactive Systems 2020 July 2020
- Paper Presentation: Dutch CHI June 2020
- Paper Presentation: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems May 2020
- Paper Presentation: ACM CHI Workshop: ‘HCI at End of Life & Beyond’ May 2020
- Paper Presentation: CHI Down Under May 2020
- Workshop Organiser: ‘Zoek Het UIt’ Conference Lochal Tilburg, December 2019
- Invited Talk: 29th Alzheimer Europe Conference The Hague, October 2019
- Paper Presentation: Dementia Lab Conference Eindhoven, October 2019
- Paper Presentation: ACM Conference on Designing Interactive Systems San Diego CA, June 2019
- Invited Talk: 15e Bijeenkomst Lerend Netwerk Dementie Rode Kruis Eindhoven, June 2019
- Project Pitch: DRIVE Festival: E-Health for Healthy Ageing Eindhoven, October 2018
- Workshop Organiser: Dementia Lab Conference Workshop organiser, Newcastle, August 2018
- Invited Talk: 11e Bijeenkomst Lerend Netwerk Dementie ZuidZorg Eindhoven, May 2018
NON ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
- Healthtech speelt een steeds grotere rol bij de kwaliteit van leven: Innovation Origins NL Mei 2021
- Warme technologie: design met én voor mensen met dementie: Publicaties ZonMw Maart 2021
- Onderzoek naar inzet 3D-geluid voor meer thuisgevoel: Vitalis Nieuws Maart 2021
- Dutch Design Week 2020, World Design Embassies: Co-design in de anderhalvemetermaatschappij October 2020
Contact maken dankzij het VITA beleefkussen: Slimmer Leven December 2019 - Nadenken over het beleefkussen vanuit Cees, Ellen en Piet: Zoekhetuit! December 2019
- Kussen helpt voor beter contact bij dementie: Skipr Tea Keijl. 12, 9: 30–33. September 2019
- Resultaten Everyday Sounds of Dementia Workshops: Archipel Nieuws June 2019
- Eerste resultaten workshops Everyday Sounds of Dementia: Slimmer Leven April 2019
(For full list see: zie https://maartenhouben.be/cv)