Design for Safety: A Search for Synergies

Design for safety is a branch of design that is based on identifying and fighting risks with the objective of increasing safety, well-being and health. Safety is a human right and it should be intrinsic to the entire design process. To ensure a correct evolution of design for safety, the development of new technologies that can offer efficient solutions to current problems must be taken into account. The aim of this work is to identify a series of synergies between design and safety in order to establish a common framework between these two areas and to develop new lines of research. To do this, we start with a mind map made with the collaboration of several safety professionals and researchers, from which we identify some of the main branches of design that already have a clear connection with safety or it could be further developed. Subsequently, the previous research related to each branch and their respective applications are analysed. The work concludes with the synthesis and representation of the results in a visual and easy-to-understand infographic, that compiles the identified synergies. These results offer valuable conclusions on the synergies between design and safety, helping to identify emerging applications and new trends. In addition, the bibliographic analysis provides insight into the most developed synergies in the academic field and those new ones that may represent a research niche. Keywords: Design for safety; Graphical tools; Safety science; Industrial design