There are endless obstacles when designing for death. Taking on a subject that many fear, dread or won't even acknowledge can make even the most well-intended designs a hard sell. But by designing meaningful departures from this earth, these projects are breaking that taboo in new and affirming ways.

Advanced Care Planning, which involves mapping out how terminally ill people wish to be cared for, is a valuable tool for caretakers. But, it can be an incredibly uncomfortable task for the patient. The ACP App is a prototype solution designed with empathy at its core. The app guides the patient through the planning process and clearly communicates the consequences of each choice. It avoids cold language to make the process less threatening and can be completed over time.

The places we go to say goodbye to our loved ones are often formal, cold spaces unrepresentative of the people they house. Funeral Ceremony Centres, by Hofman Dujardin, is a modern alternative: a conceptual design to make the last goodbye more human. The three main spaces of the building include the ‘Wall of Memories’, which tells "floor-to-ceiling" visual stories of the deceased. Next is the ceremony space with a large panoramic window that opens up to a garden to signify closing the circle of life. Lastly, loved ones gather in an event space, clad with timber, for the celebration of life.

Removing the stigma around conversations on death is the aim of the OMDB service. Standing for Over My Dead Body, this service helps clients design the way they'd like to be remembered. Whether it’s through a statue, a beautiful garden or a digital booklet, the sky is the limit. In collaboration with the client, OMDB designs the piece and keeps it safe until the day comes where it's shared with family and friends.

From the earth, you came, and to the earth, you'll return. And in designer Shaina Garfield’s Leaves coffin, the deceased even contribute to it. Made out of biodegradable materials and a rope embedded with spores, it's designed to become a part of the nature around it. The fungus speed-up decomposition and absorb the body’s toxins while the soil absorbs the nutrients. Loved ones can take part in making the coffin, and after the burial, a tree is planted to symbolise the greater purpose a body can serve.

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Do you have a solution that improves life (or death)? Nominate for Index Award 2021 now.