Campus & Community

Intelligence++ Holds Inclusive Design Spring Showcase

Friday, May 2, 2025, By Martin Walls
A group of eight people are gathered around a table in a meeting or collaborative work session. Some are seated while others are standing. The table has various items on it, including colorful hexagonal tiles, notebooks, cups, and a water bottle. In the background, there is a projector screen displaying an image or presentation. The room has beige walls and framed pictures hanging on them.

Students explain their board game 鈥淢ayhem Matchup鈥 during the 2025 Intelligence++ Inclusive Design Spring Showcase.

The cross-campus 聽 initiative held its inclusive design showcase on April 29 in Bird Library.聽A collaboration between , the College of Visual and Performing Arts鈥 (VPA) , and the , Intelligence++ is an interdisciplinary initiative focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, design and community.

The initiative is open to both undergraduate and graduate students across the University, including students with intellectual disability from ,聽an initiative from the聽.

Hosted by Brittany Berry, instructor in the School of Design, the showcase was joined remotely by Gianfranco Zaccai 鈥70, H鈥09, co-founder and chief designer of Continuum Innovation, who founded Intelligence++ through his .

The following projects were showcased:

TextPal
Carter Rice ’25 (VPA) and Julia Weinreich ’26 (VPA)
-A peer mentorship app connecting high school students with college students who share similar disability experiences to provide academic, social, and emotional guidance; build community and reduce isolation; and foster long-term support networks and mentorship.

Mayhem MatchUp
Matthew Pass ’26 (College of Arts and Sciences), Dan Zarro ’28 (InclusiveU) and Pinyi Wang ’26 (VPA)
-An inclusive, intuitive board game aimed at developmentally disabled players that has potential both as entertainment and as a tool for recreational therapists.

Sensory ToolKits
Isaac Munce ’28 (VPA) and Andrew Baum ’28 (InclusiveU)
-Build-your-own sensory calming kits that help build “calm, confidence and community for a world that too often forgets sensory needs.”

Solace
Aidan Turner ’25 (School of Architecture), Lucas d鈥橭elsnitz ’25 (Martin J. Whitman School of Management), Carolyn Fernandes ’25 (VPA) and Aphrodite Gioulekas ’25 (VPA)
-A design company addressing physical discomfort, sensory overload, cognitive disruption and social confidence for neurodivergent individuals through inclusive clothing options. Prototype clothing includes concealed and participatory fidgeting features, clasping cuffs and light and airy (not scratchy) fabrics.