Innovation & Technology Product Design
Emma Johnston
I’m a designer with a strong interest in how people experience and interact with the world around them. I’m driven by curiosity and empathy, and I’m always seeking to understand what shapes someone’s connection with a product, service, or space.
My practice sits between experience design and visual storytelling. I’m interested in the small details, how something feels, how people respond to it, and how design can make everyday moments clearer, easier, or more enjoyable. I aim to create design that feels thoughtful and meaningful, and that helps people connect more naturally with the things they use and the experiences they have.
Lexi // Confidence Begins Here, Made for Dyslexic Minds
For a self-initiated project, I chose to explore the topic of dyslexia specifically how it affects children beyond just reading and writing. Through in depth research, interviews with families, and co-design sessions, I discovered a common theme. Dyslexia often has a significant impact on a child’s confidence. Many children begin to doubt their abilities early on, and this lack of confidence can affect how they see themselves. At the same time, I found that the people around them, parents, carers, and siblings often feel unsure about how best to offer support. They want to help, but don’t always have the right tools or information to do so confidently. This insight became the foundation for Lexi.
Lexi is a positive brand designed to instil confidence in dyslexic children by focusing on what truly matters, their strengths. Rather than targeting reading and writing, Lexi utilises what dyslexic minds do best like creative thinking and imagination.
At the heart of the brand are the Lexi Activity Cards, fun, hands on activities designed for children and their families to enjoy together. These cards aren’t just tasks, they’re confidence boosters wrapped in creativity. To support independence, there’s Lexi Play, a child friendly audio device that reads the cards aloud, empowering kids to explore on their own without needing to read.
Lexi supports everyone involved, from the child to siblings and all supportive adults. The Lexi Online Hub provides extra resources, real world tips, and easy to understand guidance that’s practical. It’s designed to make supporting adults feel informed, and confident creating a shared environment where everyone feels supported.
eJoy // Discovering Balance in Life
In the high pressure world of 2035, health is closely watched, tracked, and evaluated. Every decision from what you eat to how you move can influence your access to care. For many, this constant monitoring could become exhausting, turning daily life into a never ending performance of responsibility.
In a system built on compliance and accountability, I wanted to create something softer, something human. That’s why I designed eJoy.
eJoy is a soothing home light installation paired with a handheld pod that transforms your daily, weekly or monthly routines into a beautiful dance of colour and light. Fully customisable, eJoy allows you to personalise what you track whether its work, rest, self-care or exercise and allows you to choose what colours reflect these aspects of your life. By visualising how you spend your time in a way that’s both calming and inspiring, eJoy helps you reflect, find balance and embrace mindfulness in your routine. Designed to inspire joy and mindfulness, it turns your life rhythm into art.
Compliance or Consequence? // Future Experiences Group Project
Our World
In the year 2035, the NHS operates under strict guidelines that prioritise personal responsibility for health due to severe economic pressures. The government has introduced policies where individuals who neglect their health are denied certain treatments unless they demonstrate efforts to improve their well-being. The public are required to meet basic health maintenance criteria. People are encouraged to track their progress through government issued health services, which monitor physical activity, dietary habits, and regular check-ups. All linked to a national data base that healthcare providers can consult before offering treatment. If an individual consistently fails to follow health advice, their access to non-emergency, medical care may be restricted. This refusal can range from elective surgeries to treatments for chronic conditions that could have been mitigated though lifestyle changes.
The policy has led to a sharp cultural shift. Personal health is now regarded not only as a private matter but also as a civic duty. Those who actively manage their health are praised as responsible citizens, while those who neglect it face social stigma, accused of wasting public resources. Healthcare professionals, while still compassionate are now bound by regulations that push them to prioritise patients who show commitment to their health. In this world, the NHS still offers care, but with a heightened focus on preventative measures and personal responsibility. It’s a system where the burden of care is shared between state, the health care system, and people themselves and where the cost of neglecting personal health may result in being left to cope alone.
Our exhibition takes visitors inside the lives of four individuals living under this policy. Each story based on extensive research and offers a different lens on the reality of life when health becomes a measure of worth. These immersive settings reveal how the policy effects access to care, relationships, employment, and self-perception. You’ll meet:
Eva: After sudden hearing loss, Eva struggled to adapt and connect with others. A referral to a support group left her feeling even more isolated, highlighting how one size fits all care can miss the mark for younger patients like her.
Imran: Working long hours in a high pressure job, Imran’s health has quietly deteriorated. Diagnosed with early onset osteoporosis, he ignores worsening pain. Caught between denial, duty, and a system that demands visible effort before offering care.
Gerald: Once active and energetic, Gerald’s health has declined with a sedentary lifestyle. Now facing limited access to care, he’s motivated to change but stands at the uncertain beginning of a journey where intention must become action.
Amanda: Overwhelmed by work and single motherhood, Amanda’s asthma spirals out of control. A charity funded retreat offers her a rare chance to rest, becoming the breakthrough that helps her reclaim her health for both her and her children.
Each space invites reflect on the line between motivation and coercion, support and surveillance, care and control.
When health becomes a duty, who gets left behind?
