Let's Talk Menopause

What does menopause really feel like?

This project is now archived and was part of DDW24

This project is part of
DesignUnited.Expo Changing Gears

Conversational Cups

Maud Staassen

Menopause is a significant change that many people go through, but most of the time, education about it only mentions that menstruation will stop. It often overlooks how menopause affects the mind, body, and people's relationships with others. This project invites conversations about menopause.

Breaking Taboo: Let's Talk Menopause

The transition into menopause is a phase in life that brings not only physical changes but can also influence a person's social, sexual, and mental experiences. Unfortunately, it is often seen as a taboo and isn’t talked about much, which leaves many people unprepared for the changes they go through and without the support they need. In the Netherlands, different generations tend to live separately, so we don’t often see or learn from each other's experiences with menopause. This project aims to help mothers, daughters, and everyone else talk about the often hidden and unspoken experiences of menopause by engaging in creative activities together.

Speculating with Mothers and Daughters

With this project, we open a design space to foster intergenerational dialogue around health transitions, specifically menopause. We conducted co-speculation workshops with six mother-daughter pairs to speculate about ways to make invisible and hidden experiences around menopause tangible and experiential. These workshops resulted in five artifacts that we then polished for the exhibition. Each object tells a small part of an individual menopause story.

The Artifacts

Conversational Cups - Menopause can feel like a secret no one talks about. These cups invite you to start a conversation about it. Hold Me - Menopause can feel like trying to contain an explosion. This object allows for tension release and self-care through squeezing. Collecting Experiences - Menopause can feel like not knowing when something is related to menopause. This wall captures experiences; share yours. Head into Menopause - Menopause can feel like living in a constantly changing body. Heading into this object will allow you to experience these uncontrollable changes. Menopause Library - Menopause can feel like needing to convince others that what you are experiencing is real. This is a collection of resources curated by people experiencing menopause.