Melissa Passarelli

Hello, I’m Melissa, I view design as a way to create meaningful change. My approach is rooted in empathy and curiosity. I believe innovation comes from understanding people and how they feel, what they need, and how they behave in the world. Sustainability and human benefit are always at the core of my work. I enjoy using the skills I gained such as CAD and model making to bring my ideas to life. What drives me most is my love for learning. I constantly seek new methods, tools and insights to apply to my work to push my designs further.

Get In Touch

mel.passar@gmail.com Share This Page

The Four Essential Pillars for Design Excellence

The four essential pillars encompass human-centric design approach and the understanding of full-bodied, three dimensional physical interaction of user, product and environment. The projects generate innovative solutions using research-driven, evidence-based designs which focus on the user experience.

Elderly people stretching while wearing arm braces

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3D render of arm sleeve and wrist band design

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3D render of arm band that measures activity level, stress, oxygen and pain

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Enhancement of Human Lifestyle

A lot of changes occur when aging. When people turn the age of 65 or older they may experience mobility challenges, chronic health conditions, isolation, cognitive decline, and loss.

All of these combined can feel overwhelming and discouraging. Alcove offers a relaxing escape from daily challenges seniors may face. It combines a holistic approach and a guided social experience. Natural sounds are integrated to promote a calming sensation.

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Human-Interaction & User-Centric Design

Alcove guides the elderly through a nature experience using sounds and suggested gestures to follow along with the soothing experience.

As the elderly move different parts of their body such as their arms, hands, and legs it will trigger gentle natural sounds through the speakers such as wind or water. When the elderly are in the vicinity of the preprogrammed event they are asked through audio commands if they would like to join.

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Adjust movements based on your abilities

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Ergonomics & Human Factors Design

The Omni Fiber is embedded into the fabric to allow a one-size fits all wearable that accommodates the 5th percentile woman to 95th percentile man aged 65 or older.

The Omni Fiber can expand and contract which allows for adjustable compression personalized to the user's needs. The activity is sitting to minimize risks of falls. Each gesture can be adjusted to accommodate each individual's abilities. A knee hinge and gel massager help provide additional comfort.

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Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Alcove aims to create a more sustainable product that incorporates wool, Resortecs® and ROICA™ elastane which can Industrial decompose and easily disassemble leaving the ECONYL® to be recycled.

ECONYL® is a recycled nylon that reduces carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to virgin nylon. It operates exclusively on kinetic renewable energy. The trade-back program encourages returns so the product can be resold, repurposed, or recycled.

Project Summary

Nearly 14% of older adults face mental health challenges, many of which go undiagnosed. Aging has mobility challenges, isolation, cognitive decline, and loss. All these challenges can lead to mental health struggles. Functional decline and limited engagement, adversity, disconnection, and a fading sense of purpose are some of the many challenges seniors face during this stage of life. This can feel overwhelming and discouraging. Alcove offers a relaxing escape from daily challenges seniors may face. It combines a holistic approach and a guided social experience. Natural sounds are integrated to promote a calming sensation. Alcove provides support through gentle and fluid movements that are easy on the body. The gestured commands can be adjusted based on each individual's needs and abilities. Alcove offers comfort, health benefits, and personal well-being.