Design for Hygiene

Since the emergence of Homo sapiens, infectious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria have been among the most significant threats to humanity. From ancient times, tuberculosis, cholera, and plague, to more recent diseases such as Ebola, AIDS, avian influenza, SARS, and COVID-19, humans have continually faced and fought against infectious diseases. This struggle has long been one of the most significant challenges in human history.

Efforts to prevent infectious diseases through public health improvements and awareness initiatives have extended beyond the fields of medicine and epidemiology, becoming deeply embedded in cultural practices such as religious rituals, myths, and purification ceremonies. Pandemics have also frequently marked major turning points in society, spurring major cultural shifts and creative developments such as the Renaissance following the Black Death and the rise of modern design after the Spanish flu. The spread of infectious diseases has often exposed latent social issues and driven the development of new technologies and design.

For example, modern design, rooted in the principles of Modernism, emerged, in part, from the goal of providing hygienic environments for the public. At a time when literacy rates were low, graphic design evolved to convey information visually, making public health efforts a key origin of modern design.

In today’s globalized world, the spread of infectious diseases has accelerated at an unprecedented pace. On the other hand, we can now instantly share knowledge and best practices on infectious diseases and public health worldwide through the internet.

Designers must revisit the histories that shaped new cultures, like how public health has given rise to disciplines such as graphic design and industrial design. By leveraging the full potential of graphic design, product design, architectural design, and communication design, we can contribute not only to reducing the suffering caused by infectious diseases but also propose new ways of living while fostering new cultural frameworks. This is a critical role that design should fulfill.