The Dementia Lab Conference 2025 calls for contributions to the conference program through both professional and personal experiences, from the entire dementia and design spectrum: from care partners to design practitioners and companies, to design and dementia researchers and educators from different domains.

Call for Participation

To facilitate this, we offer different forms of participation through the submission of full academic research papers↓ (published by Springer, Open Access), workshops↓, stories↓ (non-academic articles, videos or posters), and an exhibition↓. PhD-students interested or currently working on design for/with people with dementia are invited to participate in the PhD Day↓, hosted in collaboration with the MSCA Doctoral Network HOMEDEM, the INTERDEM Academy and the research project DECOHDE, on the 12th of March. For each of these opportunities, the appropriate templates, guidelines and submission dates are available below.

The theme of the Dementia Lab Conference 2025 is “ethics and aesthetics in design” and welcomes contributions and reflections in three domains: designing with people with dementia, designing for people with dementia and including design in dementia care (more information on the conference theme here).


All submissions and presentations should be in English and use inclusive language about dementia.

Important Dates

Full Papers 

Submission deadline: Closed
Authors’ notification:
25th October
Final revised full papers:
18th November
Authors’ final notification: 13th December

Workshop, Stories, PhD day

Submission deadline:
25th October 8th November
Authors’ notification:
22nd November 13th December

Exhibition

Submission deadline:
25th October
Authors’ notification:
13th December

Full Academic Paper

Full academic papers must contribute to the state of the art of dementia-related design research or design-related dementia care research, describing and reflecting on the design process, development of methods, field studies, evaluation, product characteristics, among others.

Important Dates

Submission deadline: Closed
Authors’ notification: 25th October
Final revised full papers: 18th November
Authors’ final notification: 13th December

To ensure the academic quality, rigour and relevance of the contributions, a double-blind peer review process with researchers experienced in this domain will be performed. Furthermore, we will have a review process of plain language summaries that will be conducted by people with dementia. Accepted full papers will be officially published by Springer, with DOI, fully Open Access, thanks to the support from Alzheimer Nederland and Stop Alzheimer (Stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek Belgium).

Full academic papers will be evaluated according to their novelty in the field, rigour of the presented research methods and results, quality and clarity of writing, and alignment with the conference theme.

All full academic papers must be submitted electronically via the platform Sci-Meet. Authors must register on the platform before submitting their papers.

  • Full academic paper

    • Papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference.

    • Papers should be submitted in the Springer template, in PDF format, and follow Springer’s author guidelines.

    • Papers must be between 3000-4500 words excluding references; abstracts should have between 150-250 words, and a maximum of 3 keywords.

    • Papers will be double-blind reviewed, therefore submissions must be anonymous. The author and affiliation sections of the Springer template must be left blank, and other identifiable information must be excluded.

    • Since this is an Open Access (OA) publication, authors are advised not to reuse non-OA content. If authors need to reuse a non-OA content (e.g. a figure published in a non-OA journal), they need to keep the copyright notice and ask for permission. Permissions for any material authors want to reuse from previous publication should be obtained by the corresponding publisher they want to reuse. Usually, authors can GET PERMISSION online by using RightsLink. Springer is a STM signatory publisher. Authors should read the STM permission guidelines, particularly section 7. If authors wish to reuse materials published by another signatory publisher, they can check the corresponding guideline for permission here.

    Plain language summary

    • In parallel with the submission of the full paper, authors will be asked to submit a plain language summary to be reviewed by people with dementia:

      • Plain language summaries must fit in a maximum of 2 pages, have a maximum of 250 words and use a maximum of 2 images (with captions). 

      • Plain language summaries must be anonymous. 

      • Plain language summaries must be written in plain English language and follow the DEEP guidelines for writing dementia-friendly information. 

      • Plain language summaries should be submitted in a dedicated template, in PDF, on the attachments section of the Sci-Meet platform.

Call for Workshops

The Dementia Lab Conference workshops open up research on dementia-related design research and design-related dementia care. Workshop proposals connected to other Dementia Lab contributions, such as a paper or exhibition, are also encouraged. Workshops are undertaken in-person only, no virtual participation can be facilitated.

Important Dates

Submission deadline:
25th October 8th November
Authors’ notification:
22nd November 13th December

Workshops will be evaluated according to their novelty in the field and typology of the methods proposed for the workshop, quality and clarity of writing, and alignment with the conference themes. The selection process includes peer review with experienced researchers in this domain. Accepted workshops will not be published in the conference proceedings. 

All workshop proposals should follow the instructions provided below in the submission guidelines and must be submitted electronically via the email workshops-dementialab2025@ua.pt.

    • Workshop proposals must not exceed 5 pages, excluding references.

    • Workshop proposals should be submitted in the Springer template, in PDF format, and follow the Springer author’s guidelines.

    • Documents must be named with the title: “DLab25_title of workshop”.

    • Workshop proposals must include the following sections:

      • Title, Author(s) and affiliation(s);

      • Abstract (150-250 words)

      • Keywords (max. 3).

      • Motivation (300 to 500 words) stating (1) the purpose/intent of workshop; (2) how the proposed contribution relates to the Dementia Lab 2025 themes and focus areas; (3) goals of the workshop.

      • Workshop description and overview (max. 1000 words), including (1) the description of the workshop agenda/outline (sequence of activities, duration, participant organization and tasks); (2) a table with expected timing (e.g. from 00h00 to 00h00), accompanied with the specific task name, task description (max. 130 words) and subtasks (if needed). It is recommended to include a small break if the workshop is expected to go above 2 hours. The foreseen standard length is 2 to 3 hours. However, other timeframes might also be possible.

      • Required materials, tech or assistance section (max. 100 words). Include materials required by the participants and/or organization, if needed.

      • Expected participants’. State how many participants you are expecting for the workshop; and if it is open for people with dementia, mixed audience or academics only.

      • Plan for privacy considerations (max. 100 words).

      • Short bio of workshop facilitator(s) (max. 100 words per person).

      • References (please include only cited references).

    • Additional sections may be added at your discretion. Please do not exceed the 5 pages for the entire document (including references, additional sections and/or appendices).

    • Workshops will only take place physically, no virtual participation can be facilitated.

Call for Stories

Stories (or testimonies) are particularly special for the Dementia Lab Conference because they give a voice to anyone who wants to tell their own experiences related to dementia and design. Everyone is welcome to participate: people living with dementia as well as care partners, family members and health professionals who want to share their experience; design practitioners or students who want to report on their research and work for people with dementia; researchers who want to make a short reflection on their research; institutions or associations that support people with dementia, companies that offer specialised services or products, who want to reflect on their work.

Important Dates

Submission deadline:
25th October 8th November
Authors’ notification:
22nd November 13th December

Testimonies considered relevant to the conference audience, can be submitted in a variety of ways. The following types of submissions can be accepted:

  1. Written testimony

  2. Short video

  3. Digital poster.

The team cannot promise to include all stories, as it depends on the number of submissions received. However, they are eager to read and consider your work. Stories will be selected according to their alignment with the conference focus areas and themes, and will aim for diversity.

Accepted stories will be presented during the conference or/and adapted for the event's exhibition. Accepted stories will not be published in the conference proceedings. 

We do not accept mere (commercial) demos. However, an interesting story angle (e.g. what was the design process), how were people with dementia involved or what was the origin story can be complemented by a demo.

Submissions must be made via e-mail to stories-dementialab2025@ua.pt.

Although the language of the event is English, stories presented in Portuguese are welcome.

Any questions about the submission of stories can be send to the e-mail indicated above.

  • Documents must be named with the title: “DLab25_title of story”.

    Written testimonies

    • should have a maximum of 2000 words;

    • can be accompanied by some kind of visual record, photograph, drawing or illustration.

    Videos

    • should be submitted in MP4 file format and up to 2 minutes long. Longer video works are possible, however, we can not guarantee that these can be shown at the conference;

    • should be uploaded via a known video platform (YouTube, Vimeo), and link should be provided in the submission. If the link is password protected, then make sure to provide the password;

    • should be accompanied by a brief written description/abstract (max 200 words).

    Digital poster

    • should be sent in pdf or jpg format, and follow the Dementia Lab poster template(70x100 cm);

    • should include or be accompanied by a brief written description/abstract (max 200 words).

Call for Exhibition

The Dementia Lab exhibition aims to showcase projects generated through design research. Researchers and designers are invited to present projects that have either been completed or are in progress. Design research work developed within companies can also be submitted if reflecting on the process, design decisions, or conference theme, but it is important to note that this exhibition will not be a demo/tradeshow.

Important Dates

Submission deadline:
25th October 8th November
Authors’ notification:
13rd December
Reception deadlines:
15th January for Posters;
12th March (12 pm/midday) for physical products/prototypes (exhibition set up).

The work presented at the exhibition can take the form of a physical product/prototype or a poster. The projects will be on display throughout the conference, and there will be a time for authors to present their projects so that participants can come and discuss the research. 

Products/prototypes/posters will be selected according to their novelty in the field, quality, and alignment with the conference theme.

We do not accept mere (commercial) demos. However, an interesting story angle (e.g. what was the design process), how were people with dementia involved or what was the origin story can be complemented by a demo.

Exhibition contributions must be submitted electronically via the platform Sci-Meet. Authors must register on the platform before submitting their projects.

  • Authors must upload the following information on the platform for submitting exhibition proposals – products/prototypes and posters:

    • Title, Authors

    • Publication type – select Exhibition

    • Topic – select the most appropriate conference sub-theme

    • File for upload:

      • 1. Posters: Poster proposals must follow the conference poster template (70x100 cm), in PDF (max 5Mb).

      • 2. Product/prototype: Product/protoype proposals must be submitted through a PDF document with information about the project: description, objectives, process, images (photos, renders), dimensions, technical drawings; how you would like to exhibit it, specific needs, or requirements (max. 2000 words). Proposals can be submitted in the Springer template, in PDF format, and follow the Springer author’s guidelines.

    • Keywords (max. 3)

    • Plain Text: Text to be included in the product's caption (max. 300 words); or Poster abstract.

    • Attachments: There is the possibility to upload publication attachments in case of specific limitations or need to exhibit the product/prototype (e.g. the need for an electric power supply) – (pdf, jpeg or png files) max. 5Mb

    The reception of poster files will be until January (15th); for the reception of physical products/prototypes, authors must deliver them no later than 12 midday on 12nd March, when the exhibition will be set up.

Call for Phd Day

The PhD Day of the Dementia Lab Conference 2025 will be an event on Wednesday, 12nd of March 2025, dedicated to PhD students working on design and dementia, organised in collaboration with the Marie Curie Doctoral Network HOMEDEM, the INTERDEM Academy, and the DECOHDE research project.

The program for the day will be focused on ethics, human rights, and aesthetics in designing for and with people with dementia. The main goals are to inspire PhD students and let new ideas arise, to facilitate networking and joint learning, and to provide an inclusive and constructive environment to discuss relevant questions and pressing issues in their studies and receive feedback on on-going research, from experienced researchers and fellow participants.

Important Dates

Submission deadline:
25th October 8th November
Authors’ notification:
22nd November 13th December

The participation is limited to 8 PhD students. Students interested in participating should submit a PDF document with a brief description of their research and questions/ challenges they are facing. Apart from the 8 spots available, PhD Students from the HOMEDEM project will also participate. More details below.

Attendants will be selected based on the pertinence and quality of the work submitted and alignment with the conference theme, regardless of the stage of the research. Registration is included in the Dementia Lab Conference 2025 student fee. There are no additional costs for participating.

  • Schedule

    • 10.00 – 10.30: DECOHDE presentation

    • 10.30 – 12.30: Panel discussion with experts on design and dementia

    • 14.00 – 16.00: Workshop including feedback tailored to attendees

    • 16.15 – 17.00: Dilemma game

    • 17.00 – 18.00: Social activity

    The day will be structured in two main parts: (a) the morning will be hosted by DECOHDE and will consist of a panel discussion with experts on design and dementia; (b) in the afternoon, PhD students will engage in a workshop to explore topics relevant to attendees’ research with experienced researchers and peers. Moreover, we will play the dilemma game debating ethical questions around design and dementia. The day will end with a social activity.

    DECOHDE panel discussion

    The panel discussion will focus on ethics, human rights, and aesthetics, taking the experience and context of DECOHDE as a starting point. PhD students will be welcome to ask questions to the panel. The participation in the morning session is open to all, but subject to registration.

    Workshop

    Based on themes arising from submissions, small groups will be formed on current or anticipated challenges faced by the PhD students. During the session, each PhD student will have time to discuss their challenge and receive peer-support and input from an experienced researcher on design and dementia.

    Dilemma game

    The dilemma game presents researchers with challenging scenarios that are debated and analysed in groups. The game will be played with PhD students discussing hypothetical ethical issues when doing (design) research with people with dementia, aiding them in refining their personal ethical framework.

    • Students interested in participating should submit a PDF document with the following information, written in English:

      • PhD title (even if work in progress)

      • 3 Keywords

      • Brief description of PhD research, including research question(s) and objectives, methodology, indication of PhD year, current status of your work and next steps (maximum 500 words).

      • Specific challenges faced (or anticipated) in your research, and questions they wish to discuss in the PhD Day – particularly on ethics, human rights, and aesthetics

      • Expectations for PhD Day (i.e., What do you hope to get out of/ learn during this day?) (100 words maximum)

      • Short bio (100 words maximum)

    • PhD Day documents should have a maximum of 3 pages, excluding references, and follow the Springer template and its author guidelines, without anonymization.

    • Submissions are done via the Sci-Meet platform: selecting the Publication Type “PhD Day”. In the platform, add the 500-word description of your research within the “Plain Text” field.

    • Please be aware that the PhD Day is not intended for presenting final, refined work, but to present and discuss ongoing research in a nurturing and safe environment to exchange thoughts and gain feedback.