Sha Yao is an industrial designer who was inspired by her late grandmother, an Alzheimer’s sufferer, to create a set of tableware that could help those with cognitive impairment or physical infirmity to increase food intake and to eat with greater independence, without the risk of spilling or dropping food.

“I was very close to my grandmother, and I miss her very much. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I felt frustrated seeing her gradually being unable to take care of herself, but there was not much I could do to help. I really wanted to find some way to improve her quality of life.”

Motivated to find a solution to her grandmother’s increasing difficulties eating, Sha began developing the assistive tableware set while still in graduate school. She combined extensive research, her experience caring for her grandmother and as a volunteer at senior care centers, feedback from professional caregivers, and her design background to develop the tableware design, which she named Eatwell.

The result has received universal praise, and Eatwell won first place earlier this year at the inaugural Stanford Design Challenge, hosted by Aging2.0 and the Stanford University Center on Longevity.

The Goal

The hope is that Eatwell could help people with special needs eat better by stimulating appetite, minimizing effort and strain, and reducing reliance on caregivers.  To accomplish this goal, Eatwell has over 20 unique features that address either cognitive impairments or physical difficulties.

For instance, research has shown that sufferers will consume 24% more food and 84% more drink when given brightly colored crockery. In Eatwell, the bowls and cups have brightly colored exteriors to stimulate appetite, with highly contrasting interiors to help users distinguish the container from particles of food. The bowls are also designed with a slanted basin, causing foods and liquids to collect automatically on one side and eliminate the need for long or searching scooping motions, while the spoons are designed to specifically match the curvature of the bowls and allowing the natural contours of the bowls to act as spooning guides. Cups are designed to be difficult to tip and are comfortable for those with arthritis. Everything is ergonomically designed and held steadily in place by a tray that can be used to attach bibs to prevent clothing or carpet stains.

Though the set is designed to help those with cognitive impairments, it can in fact be used by anyone who finds eating more challenging.

Success So Far

Already Sha’s hard work and research is being recognized; not only has Eatwell already won the 2014 Stanford Design Challenge, the set has been profiled in Forbes, and is being hailed as an empowering project in Umpqua Bank’s Catalyst series. Sha is also showcasing Eatwell at Aging Innovation conferences in Taiwan and South Korea in late November. It’s a fantastic example of smart design that serves a very worthy cause.

Sha launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in October to raise funds for manufacturing costs and future production. If you want to help more people to eat well, you can get involved by visiting the Indiegogo page here. There are 10 more days to go and already the project has raised nearly $50,000 of its $70,000 goal.

No doubt Sha’s Grandmother would be very proud.