Sabine Affolter - The art of describing pain

Sabine Affolter’s story actually begins with her friend Katja Rüfenacht, back in 2011. Katja is suffering from chronic hip pain at the time. So the two of them come up with the idea of visualising her pain, expressing it graphically. A strong topic for their final thesis. Both are studying Visual Communication at Bern University of the Arts.

Looking back, Affolter says: “We surveyed pain patients, had them describe their various pains in terms of quality and characteristics. “We wanted to create a kind of phantom image of the pain in question.”

But disillusionment arrives quickly. The task they’re attempting is almost impossible. Pain varies greatly in nature and manifestation – but it’s almost indescribable. At this point, Sabine and Katja can only surmise: This is a core problem of pain therapy.

What they don’t know yet: They will solve this problem with a trick. Affolter explains, “We turned the tables – we thought up pain types intuitively and recorded them graphically. Subtle. Intrusive. Hammering. Stabbing. Wavelike. Every type of pain imaginable.” The two designers create their pain images using a wide variety of media and tools: scanner, camera, design programmes, felt-tip pens, paper and much more. The result is a “morphological box” with almost 300 cards.

With this set, they return to the pain patients, and, lo and behold – many of them recognise themselves and their pain! Some cards are chosen again and again, others very rarely. An exciting process begins for Sabine, as she learns how to construct the ideal pain pictures. They must be neither too simple nor too complex, neither too specific nor too general. The “Dolography” (dolor = Latin for pain) project is already far more than a thesis project.

Sabine talks to pain therapists and other medical professionals. Interest is divided, but the many positive echoes give her courage. After completing her master’s degree, she finally decides to put Dolography on a professional footing.

Together with Katja, Sabine applies for support from the Bernese Design Foundation, which brings her into contact with Creative Hub. Both designers sign up for the “Creative Link” programme.

Affolter: “It was a very instructive time. We learned how to find the right target groups and channels for our product, put together a media package, supply trade journals with targeted articles, and much more.” Katja Rüfenacht is still involved during this phase, but will later leave the project to concentrate on her main profession.

Sabine is determined to continue with Dolography. The knowledge she gains at Creative Hub helps her take a clear decision: against overly rapid growth, in favour of qualitative development. “I don’t see myself as a classic start-up, but as a constantly developing, sustainable company that people can trust. That’s very important to me.”

And she is taken very seriously – to date, several therapists in Switzerland and beyond have firmly integrated Dolography into their therapy. Sabine Affolter is also invited to give lectures at medical congresses and pharmaceutical companies. Mind you, as a designer. 

Almost incidentally, Dolography wins important awards: Design Prize Switzerland, the marketing prize of the Bernese Design Foundation, the European Design Award.

This is design that works – in the best sense. We at Creative Hub are already looking forward to the next good ideas. From Sabine, and from you!