Zeel Shah on bagging second place in the Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2023

Zeel Shah on bagging second place in the Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2023

As graduation approached at the NMIMS School of Design, I eagerly anticipated the opportunities that lay ahead. I got one when I was selected to participate in the prestigious Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2022-2023, which revolved around ‘Optimising Health Span: Living Well at Every Age’. It aimed to ensure that quality of life aligns with increasing lifespan.

For my college capstone project, I dedicated five months to studying the challenges posed by menopause. My goal was to simplify the menopause transition process, breaking down barriers to seek support, and empower women to access information, express their concerns, and prioritise their health. The target audience were women experiencing perimenopause and menopause in urban Indian society. This topic resonated with me, propelling me to contribute to improving women’s experiences during this transformative phase leading to a healthier and more comfortable life as they age. Thus, the concept of ‘Unpause Life’ was born. 

My professor, Sajana Ali, guided me from initial research to the creation of the final product. Additionally, I had the privilege of being assigned to Dr. Danit Ariel, a distinguished practitioner specialising in general endocrinology, with a particular focus on menopause, LGBTQ+ health, transgender medicine, reproductive endocrinology, and thyroid disorders, among other areas. She provided invaluable medical advice and assisted me with the design aspects. 

The entire journey of the competition at Stanford University, which brought together eight student teams from around the world, was awe-inspiring. On the first day, I met the other competitors, and we embarked on a tour of the campus and the design college. We forged connections and got to know one another. The day of the competition was nerve-wracking, as I was the last but one to present. So, I had the opportunity to witness almost everyone else’s work before my turn. When I finally stepped on to the grand stage, I realised that the experience mattered more than winning. I emerged in second place.  

The writer was a student of the Bachelor’s in Humanising Technology at SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, who graduated earlier this year.