Ilia Giokaris

Associate - Cohort 009

Ilia Giokaris uses her creativity to brainstorm solutions that are inclusive and accessible to all.

As an associate with Normal Next, Ilia is involved in Connect &, which aims in bridging the gap between older and younger generations by creating a space where meaningful multigenerational connections can occur.

Ilia is a recent Brown University graduate. At Brown, she created and pursued her own interdisciplinary concentration in Human-Centered Design, by combining courses from various existing majors at Brown ranging from courses in Psychology, User/Ethnographic Research, Engineering Design, and Disability Justice. Her concentration focused on accessible design: as part of her capstone project she worked with includesign to help redesign the LapSnap, an adaptive carry-all basket for wheelchair users, to make it more accessible to individuals with more limited hand mobility.

Since then, she has continued to work with includesign writing their monthly newsletter on accessible design and disability news, and is doing user research to help design a new smaller, more affordable version of the LapSnap. She is also working with Open Style Lab, an organization whose mission is to make style accessible to everyone, and at the same time exploring and learning more about UI/UX.

In her work but also in her daily life, Ilia is guided by the belief that we should always be a little more understanding and kind than necessary. In her spare time, she likes being active, making art and handmade gifts, going on adventures and trips with friends, dog sitting, listening (and dancing) to music, and tries not to take life too seriously all the time.