Leonardo Saletta

Product Designer - Talent in Residence

He was born in Bergamo in 1992, undertaking the three-year degree course in “Product Design” at the Politecnico di Milano. He graduated in 2016 with a thesis on the handcrafted production of a percussion whose sound can be modulated with water. After a year of being an intern in a design studio and a technical designer in a company, he decided to complete his studies at POLIMI with a master in “Integrated Product Design”. During the two years of the master’s degree he was able to take an interest in and investigate issues concerning psychology which have a direct impact on the health of society as well as on individuals. For this reason, he decided to elaborate a thesis that examines the problem of panic attacks and asks how and where Design can play a role in the prevention and treatment of this type of problem.

Abstract:

Nowadays, in western societies, Panic Attack Disturb is a condition which negatively affects our lives. Especially towards the Millennial generations, the constant fear of experiencing fear brings to an emotive escalation that blocks individuals in a cognitive paralysis. The consequences of such a problem have been reflected in many layers of our everyday psychophysical wellbeing affecting significantly our daily activities. If, on one hand, the strategies to overcome this problem are available, throughout different paths and approaches – therapy, counselling, meditation, psychopharmacological drugs – on the other hand, still remains a general confusion on what exactly Panic Attacks are and what could be done to improve the wellbeing of the people who suffers from it. This thesis path would try to investigate what is the state of the art of the knowledge about this health issue to seek and spot opportunities for a project which aims to examine what is the possible role of Design in this social and health paradigm.